


Yes, Alpha

by indigomini



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Age Swap, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Culinary Blowjobs, Fisting, Foot Jobs, Knotting, M/M, Public Sex, Scentplay, dick smelling kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-09 06:13:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13475388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigomini/pseuds/indigomini
Summary: Kyungsoo's been hired as Mr. Kim's live-in personal chef.





	1. Chapter 1

“So how big is his knot?”

Kyungsoo snorts and shoves at Chanyeol’s face. “Wouldn’t know. Haven’t seen it.”

“ _ Bullshit _ .”

“ _ Not _ bullshit,” he counters as he tries to adjust his sleeves in the mirror.

Chanyeol walks a tight circle around him, looking him up and down. “Well, you won’t be getting dicked with  _ that _ outfit. You look like a priest.”

“I’m not trying to get dicked, I’m going to  _ work _ .”

“Could work for him,” Tao comments from his perch atop Kyungsoo’s counter. “Maybe Baby Kim has a priest kink or something.”

“Shut—”

“Repeat after me: confess your sins, my alpha.”

Tao retreats after a smack to the head, still cackling but at least keeping his salacious comments to himself as Kyungsoo looks his own reflection over again. Presentable. Professional. 

And all for naught.

Mr. Kim doesn’t even acknowledge him as Kyungsoo balances the breakfast tray in one hand to knock with the other. Lunch is no better, with Kyungsoo adjusting the silverware to photographic perfection for an empty chair. It isn’t until shortly after he’s brought the plates back to the kitchen, washed and disposed of the untouched meal, that a disheveled man in silk pajama pants comes trundling toward the fridge, opening it and procuring a yogurt drink from within.

“Good mor-... afternoon,” Kyungsoo greets pleasantly. “Do you want me to make you something to eat?”

The refrigerator door closes, and Mr. Kim takes a long swig from the cup, emptying it before pushing his shaggy hair out of his still sleep-swollen face. He scratches at his stomach, “I’m good til dinner.”

And then he’s gone, taking his stale cloud of moody, unshowered alpha with him back to his bedroom. It was shocking in the first days of his employment. Now, it’s merely expected. If he wasn’t paid handsomely for his efforts, Kyungsoo would’ve just abandoned bothering with breakfast and lunch, but it’s not a bad opportunity to refine some skills.

As Mr. Kim’s live-in, personal chef, he’s responsible for, essentially, keeping the youngest Kim scion alive while he mopes and broods about how difficult his life must be, returning to the family business after almost a decade of partying. His three older brothers have all nestled into their respective roles within the Kim corporation, but being the baby, Jongin was allowed more independence, indulged much more, especially with how flawlessly Minseok and Junmyeon took to their initial positions. He had dabbled in modeling, on and off, as well as some rather questionable ventures, but given his family’s wealth and clout, all of it could be dismissed as eccentric. And now he’s here, stuck in his riverside villa because he can’t bear the thought of living a 9-5 existence like the rest of the world.

He’s a spoiled playboy, in Kyungsoo’s eyes, but Jesus, he’s a smoking hot playboy. And an alpha to boot, which shouldn’t mean much, but Kyungsoo’s id is a shallow omega, and that just adds to the attractiveness that is surly, unkempt Mr. Kim Jongin.

He does put more effort into dinner, since that is the meal Mr. Kim actually attends. Tonight is fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken. It’s scoffed and dismissed by some as pedestrian, but among the bougie Seoul crowd, it’s almost guaranteed as a hit. Exotic, yet pronounceable. Kyungsoo has just finished laying down the roasted garlic and is chopping parsley when Mr. Kim comes back to the kitchen, sniffing the air with interest.

“Yum,” he says, in place of a greeting. He’s always warmer when he’s gotten his dozen or more hours of sleep in.

Kyungsoo shivers, before mentally chiding himself. The  _ food _ is yum. Of course it is. “I bet you’re hungry.”

“I could eat,” Mr. Kim says.

“Wine?”

Mr. Kim shakes his head as he sits down. “Water,” he says, surveying the tines of his fork as he waits for Kyungsoo to get over his nerves and go to the opposite end of the dining table with a plate of his own.

This is the part of his day he simultaneously dreads and anticipates most. Full access to Mr. Kim’s full, undivided, luscious face in an intimate, often candlelit, setting, but the trade-off is Mr. Kim’s gaze can get  _ quite  _ intense, and on occasion, he can ask some rather probing questions. Since day one, Mr. Kim had asked for them to dine together, insisting that it is just too depressing having to eat dinner alone. It’s taken him a bit of effort to get over it, but Kyungsoo manages.

“Ooh, it’s very garlicky,” Mr. Kim comments, after the first bite has been swallowed, and another forkful has been spun.

“Is that good?”

“I love garlic,” Mr. Kim says. “Most Italian places around here just dump in cheese and forget all about the garlic. It’s tragic.”

“My mom always said garlic was good for growing wolves,” Kyungsoo offers.

“Mine too,” Mr. Kim grins, looking over at him. “Said it made you strong against vampires.”

“Did you believe in vampires?” Kyungsoo asks. “When you were a kid?”

Mr. Kim lowers his fork slowly, arching a curious brow. “Vampires  _ are  _ real…”

Kyungsoo flushes. “Not like—I meant like in the cartoons where they turned into bats and stuff. Like monsters.”

Mr. Kim only nods and tucks back into his meal, spearing a piece of grilled chicken and popping it whole into his mouth, chewing with relish. He’s like an entirely different person sometimes. He’s moody and grumpy one moment, and the next, he’s—

“Are you going to any wild parties this weekend?”

“I, ah, …I don’t really party,” Kyungsoo mutters.

“Oh, c’mon,” Mr. Kim continues, leaning forward and resting his palms on the smooth marble. “Let me live vicariously through you. A new club just opened last week. It’s one of my friend’s, and I’m  _ dying _ .”

“I—”

“Omegas get in  _ free… _ ”

That’s not nearly as enticing as Mr. Kim thinks it must sound. Kyungsoo clears his throat. “I-… I don’t like being… around… people.”

That brow of his arches again. It’s such a cocky gesture, whether he intends it to be or not. And it’s sexy. “No?”

And there’s that intense gaze. Kyungsoo squeezes his thighs together. “Too many smells,” he mutters again.

“Ahh, I see,” Mr. Kim says, finally looking away, back into his plate.

Minutes pass in silence, punctuated only by the light scrapes of metal against ceramic or soft chewing. Mr. Kim has slipped back into his brooding mode, it seems. He must be bored out of his mind, having only Kyungsoo and his bodyguard-slash-babysitter for company. Kyungsoo has a very mundane life. The most exciting part of his day is catching sight of Mr. Kim’s happy trail when he eventually hobbles shirtless into the kitchen to grab some sustenance before grumbling back toward his room for his third or fourth brooding nap. Otherwise, Kyungsoo just goes back to his room, sleeps, wakes, and then repeat.

“Would you tell on me if I threw a party here tomorrow night?” Mr. Kim asks, and Kyungsoo finds himself trapped under that sharp gaze again. He’s going for mischievous, but that little smirk is having a very powerful effect on Kyungsoo.

“I’m just here to feed you,” Kyungsoo eventually says, once he’s recovered enough. He manages a shrug. “It’s none of my business what you do here, other than eat.”

His answer seems to rejuvenate Mr. Kim, who steeples his fingers together in front of him and rests his chin on them, eyes losing focus as he mentally plots out his plan. “My damn babysitter though,” he grumbles, a minute later. His face lights up, and he zeroes in on Kyungsoo again. “You could help me distract him!”

Mr. Kim’s bodyguard? No thanks. The few times that he interacted with Sehun, the alpha kept trying to scent him. Yes, Kyungsoo gets that he’s interested. Thank you. Keep your pheromones on your own person, please. “That’s not really…”

“He totally digs you. It’d be so easy.”

Hotness overridden. Kyungsoo levels a blank stare at him until Mr. Kim squirms his way into an easy shrug.

“Just something to think about,” Mr. Kim mutters, before resting his fork and pushing his chair back. He leaves without another word. Back to his sleep dungeon.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Kyungsoo! Oh, hey!” shouts a familiar voice, followed by the clatter of footsteps.

Kyungsoo adjusts his glasses to see Bodyguard Oh grinning nervously as he closes the distance between them. “Good morning,” he says, eyes flitting over past Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Hi,” Chanyeol chimes in from his side, smiling cheerily at the newcomer before reeling his poodle back in to keep him from sniffing at Sehun’s boots. He nods and waves as Kyungsoo introduces the two of them. 

Sehun keeps looking over at Chanyeol, as if he’s some puzzle to be deciphered. “What are y’all up to this morning?”

Kyungsoo shrugs, adjusting his grocery bags. “We just finished walking Toben,” he answers, gesturing down at the dog again, currently resting on top of his left shoe.

“Do you like dogs?” Sehun asks, reluctantly accepting that he can posture up all he wants, he’s just not going to tower over Chanyeol like he does Kyungsoo. “I have a dog.”

“Really?” Chanyeol exclaims, bouncing on his feet like a child. “What kind? Oh my gosh, Toben  _ loves  _ making new friends!”

“He does,” Kyungsoo agrees, trying to conceal his amusement.

“Does it live here with you?” Chanyeol continues, oblivious to Sehun’s crestfallen face. “I’m just right down the block, so I bring Toben here every morning to walk with Kyungsoo, but he’s so good with other dogs too, I swear!”

Chanyeol’s latched onto the idea of a new playmate for Toben, and too excited to pick up on the awkwardness in the air, so five minutes later, they’re following a grumbly Sehun into his room to be greeted by an eager Bichon Frise. It’s probably twice the size of Toben and a bright white in contrast to his solid black. It’s just too perfect. They haven’t even had a chance to sniff each other when Chanyeol drops to the ground with a thunk to coo at their first encounter, snapping photos at a rapidfire pace. Ahh, the life of a pupstagram owner.

“His name is Vivi,” Sehun explains to him, taking the opportunity to sidle up closer to Kyungsoo. “He’s the best boy ever.”

Vivi is cute and all but his owner has shaved the bottoms of his legs for ease of cleaning, and his creepy, clicking chicken feet are skeeving Kyungsoo out. He offers it a reluctant head scratch before announcing that he better go get Mr. Kim's breakfast going and darting out of the room without waiting for an answer.

The rest of his morning crawls by slowly. His phone keeps going off, with Chanyeol constantly uploading new pictures of Toben and “his new bestie!!!” to Toben’s Instagram and tagging him along in the description. You'd think a delivery boy would be too swamped to post as much as he does, but you'd be wrong. Apparently, Chanyeol’s side job makes him nearly as much as his main.

Mr. Kim finally makes an appearance just after the clock ticks past noon. He's scratching at his tummy and walking on tippy toes, stretching out with each step like an oversized cat, as he beelines for the refrigerator, digging out a drink and grunting at Kyungsoo in greeting. He's gone again a minute later, scrubbing at his eyes and yawning loudly, his timber voice echoing through the living room.

Probably sulking that Kyungsoo won't help him with his stupid party. Or really, this could just be his normal mood too. It's hard to tell. His tummy looked gorgeous, though.

Kyungsoo is about to dispose of lunch when the front door slams open and a loud yell resounds through the house. Mr. Kim’s older brother, Mr. Kim, has arrived and announced himself in his usual fashion.

“I said just call me Jongdae,” Slightly Older Mr. Kim scolds, swatting the air as he circles around the plate that Kyungsoo was about to conveniently dump into a Tupperware container for later. “What is  _ this _ ? It’s so pretty!”

“Truffled ricotta ravioli,” Kyungsoo answers with a small bow. “It has white turnip, charred onion broth, and fried parsley with Italian white truffle.”

“ _ Neeeeed _ ,” Jongdae swipes the plate up, shoveling a large bite into his mouth and rolling his eyes back in delight. “Mmm.. I might need to steal you from Jongin. Your talents are being wasted.”

“He does eat dinner,” Kyungsoo offers quietly.

Another wave. Jongdae carries the plate toward Mr. Kim’s room, inhaling another bite as he kicks the door loudly. “Ya!” he shouts, before another round of kicks.

The door is yanked open, hitting the adjacent wall with a loud crack. Mr. Kim looks absolutely murderous, glaring at his older brother. He is not amused. “What.”

Jongdae is, however. “Need to talk to you,” he smiles cheerily, unphased by Mr. Kim’s outburst. “Come to the kitchen. I need water.”

Kyungsoo has water poured for both of them by the time they reach the dining table, and has already dashed off to the stove to plate the leftovers for Mr. Kim. That leaves him lunchless, and Tao won’t be getting fancy leftovers tonight once his shift is over, but there is drama brewing in the air, and he can always order takeout, dammit.

“I hear rumors that there’s a party going on tonight somewhere around Cheongdam-dong… You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” Jongdae asks, drawing a long sip from his glass and giving Mr. Kim a sidelong look over the brim. “Somewhere around, oh, I don’t know, 1485? Ring any bells?”

Mr. Kim sprawls back on his chair, still grumpy from having his sleep disrupted. He leans back, staring up at the ceiling. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, and Kyungsoo gets a bit distracted following that line down his chest but still manages to catch his half-ass lie. “Not a clue. I’m a prisoner here.”

Jongdae snorts. “You’re in your villa, brat.” He takes another bite. Mr. Kim still hasn’t touched his plate. “You’re supposed to be studying. Chairman Kim will skin you alive if you try to throw a party.”

“Dad doesn’t need me to manage his fucking company.”

Undeterred, the elder Kim finishes his plate, obnoxiously scraping it clean with the side of his fork. He beams brightly at Mr. Kim’s scowl. “Chairman Kim has allowed you to work under me, but if he finds out that the prodigal son is trying to twerk on pretty omegas instead of learning basic management skills, he will be putting your desk either right next to his, or worse: Minseok-hyung’s.”

From what Kyungsoo has been able to glean from the news and his short time here, the brothers all get along, but the elder two are notorious for their dedication, strict on themselves, and expecting no less from those under them. Probably not as ideal as shadowing his third brother, who’s always taken a more laid back approach.

To refrain from saying something he might regret, Mr. Kim finally grabs his fork and stuffs a ravioli into his mouth, chewing moodily. His eyes widen though, and he glances over to Kyungsoo, hurriedly finishing the bite and raising a brow in question. “This is delicious!”

“Ya, focus!”

“How come you never make things like this for dinner?” Mr. Kim asks, ignoring his brother.

His interviewer had wanted a diverse menu, stressing that Mr. Kim has traveled worldwide, but from experience, Kyungsoo knows there’s a difference between going abroad and actually exploring other cultures’ foods. Nine times out of ten, these “worldly” socialites just chow down at Chipotle or McDonald’s or other fast food chains. Not wanting to come in between them, Kyungsoo shuffles forward slowly, giving Jongdae time to retake the conversation. He doesn’t. “Uh. I didn’t really know what you liked, so I just went with safer options for dinner, since I figured you wouldn’t have any issues with digestion or anything.”

“See,  _ this  _ is another thing—” Jongdae starts.

Mr. Kim powers forward, “I mean, I’m not trying to diss your food, because it’s always great, but this—”

Jongdae slaps the table. “Ya!” He’s lost some of his cool composure, hands curling into fists repeatedly to try and calm down. Alpha pheromones fill the room as his causes Mr. Kim’s to spike in turn. “Everyone’s been handling you with kid gloves, Nini, but it’s time to grow up. Dad’s meeting with the president next week. He can’t have you getting caught in some scandal again. Not right now.”

“You make it sound like I fuck up on the regular.”

“I  _ literally _ had to bail you out of a London jail because you were caught knotting some student in the back of the school library.”

“That was  _ years ago! _ ”

“And the only thing that’s changed since is you’ve gotten older,” Jongdae counters, standing up. His pleasant demeanor finally slips into a serious one. He points a stern finger at Mr. Kim. “No parties, Nini.”

Mr. Kim glowers at his plate, taking his time with his next bite. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he persists.

“Whatever,” Jongdae says, clapping his shoulder as he passes, turning around and walking backwards, pointing at Kyungsoo. “Oh, and I’m taking your chef if you’re not gonna use him.”

“Um, the fuck you are!”

“Stop sleeping in all the time. You’re not a bear, and spring has come anyway,” Jongdae delivers his parting words as he slips his shoes back on. “Stop trying to be a kid, Nini.”

After a minute of tense silence, Mr. Kim lets out a long sigh and stands up, wiping his mouth and turning slowly to Kyungsoo. “What’s for dinner tonight?” he asks, his voice eerily calm.

_ Angry alpha _ . Damnit, that shouldn’t be so hot, but Mr. Kim’s shoulders look extra broad as his body holds onto all of the tension from their brotherly spat. Menu. Menu…”I bought some really good seafood at the market this morning,” Kyungsoo says. “So… uh… pancetta wrapped jumbo prawns, if you’re feeling up to it?”

“Perfect,” Mr. Kim answers gruffly, already beelining for his room.

—

He should have suspected something was up.

In his defense, it’s a bit hard to activate his deduction skills when Mr. Kim decides to shower and clean up for once. He cleans up well, hair tousled back, stubble shaved, and his statuesque body wrapped in black silk and cotton. Kyungsoo had to actively remind himself not to drool when Mr. Kim leaned in next to him to sniff at the saucepan.

“Mmm,” Mr. Kim purrs, wicked smile crooking his lips upward, looking right at Kyungsoo. “That smells  _ amazing _ .”

He’s so close, Kyungsoo could just lift a hand and boop him on his nose.  _ He _ smells amazing. Clean alpha with some sort of peachy note from his shampoo.  _ Kyungsoo loves  _ peaches.  _ And _ alphas. “Oh,” he stammers, “it’s almost done.”

Mr. Kim takes another long inhale, and Kyungsoo squeezes his legs together again, fighting a shiver. “This is exciting,” the alpha says, before wandering away.

If he squints, it almost looks like they’re on a date, and Kyungsoo’s just poorly dressed for the occasion. Mr. Kim has opted for wine tonight, and the table is set for a formal meal, given the food choices. He answers questions thoughtlessly, barely able to recall them afterward. Aside from an odd “you wouldn’t go work for my brother, would you,” the rest of the questions were pretty normal. He thinks. Between the hot alpha and being famished from missing lunch, he was kind of loopy.

Bodyguard Oh opens the door as they’re almost done with their meal, trailing two guests with him. He frowns when he sees their plates, but recovers quickly. The guests greet Mr. Kim enthusiastically, taking turns pushing each other back and forth while Sehun eyes them with suspicion. He leaves after a quick hello to Kyungsoo, but returns within minutes with another guest.

“It’s not a party,” Mr. Kim argues with Sehun, once the fourth guest has arrived.

“I’m under explicit orders,” Sehun says, growling under his breath as the front door chimes, signaling the arrival of more guests. “This needs to be shut down.”

None of this is Kyungsoo’s concern though, as he had stated before. Mr. Kim had eaten, and all of his guests are only interested in booze, it seems. His job is done for the night. Someone is raiding the fridge, but the cleaning crew is arriving early morning tomorrow anyway. Time to bail.

Sehun and Mr. Kim seem to be bumping heads again as he tries to make for his room. The bodyguard has already bodily removed several of the guests, having his verbal warnings fall upon deaf ears. There are too many smells as it is, with the group of people somehow only growing, but Kyungsoo catches a whiff of alphas clashing as he passes by them.

“Kyungsoo!” Mr. Kim calls after him, leaving Sehun behind to sigh and try to clear out the rest of the partygoers. He guides them to a corner, and puts on his best puppy eyes. “I need a favor.”

“No—”

“I’m like  _ this _ close to sealing the deal with this Kyuhyun guy,” he says, as if the name means anything to Kyungsoo. “I haven’t been out in like two months. I’m  _ dying _ . I just need you to distract Sehun for, like, thirty minutes.”

Kyungsoo levels a blank stare.

“...Twenty minutes?”

Mr. Kim gives him a sad look. “I haven’t knot—” He stops mid-sentence and sucks in a deep inhale, closing his eyes in frustration. “ _ Please _ .”

_ Knotted anyone in a while? _ Kyungsoo can only guess at what lied at the end of that train of thought, and has to smash the pause button on it before he can derail. He tries to feign a sympathetic face. “I’m not a really good wingman,” he says. “Plus, your brother said if you get caught, this will really hurt your family. Please, Mr. Kim, I don’t want to get fired.”

He can see the hope drain from Mr. Kim’s face with each word. Good. Guilt should work better than Sehun manhandling everyone.

Mr. Kim sighs again, fidgeting with his hands and looking mopey. “Okay,” he says finally, exhaling dramatically. “Urgh. Okay. I’ll shut down the party.”

“Sorry about your friend,” Kyungsoo offers, before taking leave.

Back in his room, Kyungsoo sheds his work uniform and showers away the strangers’ smells from his body. He mentally plots out tomorrow’s menu and if he needs to make a run to the farmer’s market in the morning again. It’s not like Chanyeol won’t drag him along for another walk, but it’s better if it could be productive.

He remembers as he’s dressing that he needs to text Tao to let him know there aren’t any leftovers tonight. As he reaches for his phone, he hears it vibrate repeatedly. Maybe Tao is already here.

 

**_* Boss Baby (2017) has sent a video._ **

**_Boss Baby (2017):_ ** _ HAHAHAHAHAHA OMG IM SORRY THAT WAS MEANT FOR KYUHYUN _

**_Boss Baby (2017):_ ** _ OMG KYUNGSOO SORRY _

 

His mouth aches, and Kyungsoo slowly realizes his mouth is hanging open, closing it with a snap. Mr. Kim had sent him a video. The thumbnail alone has him staring, slackjawed for another minute before he recovers.

Shakily, his thumb crosses the screen, and hits the play button. As if in slow-motion, the video opens to full size and plays.

“Is this what you wanted?” Mr. Kim asks, offscreen. His voice is low, sultry, barely above a whisper as he gives the cock onscreen a teasing stroke. He’s thick and long and Kyungsoo is too busy gawking that he nearly misses the loud whiff close to the camera’s microphone that he gasps at seeing the knot at the base start to swell. Mr. Kim squeezes it rhythmically for a few seconds, encouraging the growth as he sucks in more air.

He must be sniffing synthetic omega pheromones. Oh god, his knot is—

“Have you been a good boy?” Mr. Kim continues, tugging his cock slowly, letting the camera catch it from every angle as he plays with himself. “Do you deserve this?”

The video ends just as a drop of precum starts to bead at the tip, and Kyungsoo lets out an involuntary whimper as his phone turns off due to inactivity. His boss just accidentally sent him a knotting video.

_ Is this what you wanted? Have you been a good boy? Do you deserve this? _

Kyungsoo wipes the sweat from his brow and chews on his lip, already hitting play again. He has an answer, regardless if it was for him or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess what Kyungsoo's answer may be? ;)
> 
> Also, I basically stole the idea of sniffing phermones to be able to knot from keiteullin's Desperate Measures, which is a banger of a fic if you've never read. I can't find the link. I don't know if it was taken down :( but yes, credit.


	3. Chapter 3

Apparently, Candy has now met, and is in love with Vivi. Tao has been spamming his phone all damn morning with pictures of the Maltese meeting Sehun’s dog on their little walk with Toben by the coffee shop. He’s going to get them matching leather puppy jackets now and will have it ready by tomorrow’s morning stroll. 

He can’t decide if this is Sehun’s not-so-sly attempt at ingratiating himself with Kyungsoo by aligning with his friends, or if he’s just excited for new pup pals. He can’t decide, he reminds himself, because he’s been worrying about other, more pressing matters all damn morning:

**_* Boss DADDY (2018) has sent a video._ **

**_Boss DADDY (2018):_ ** _ HAHAHAHAHAHA OMG IM SORRY THAT WAS MEANT FOR KYUHYUN _

**_Boss DADDY (2018):_ ** _ OMG KYUNGSOO SORRY _

Kyungsoo sighs as he puts his phone back on the charger and straightens his outfit in front of the mirror. He’s watched that damn clip so much, his battery has drained down to almost nothing before the day has even started. He hasn’t answered, hoping he could claim ignorance today. What the hell could he say, anyway?

He missed a part of his back when toweling off earlier. Kyungsoo scowls as the shirt clings to his damp skin. He’s a professional, dammit.

A professional with a throbbing hole from an impromptu and slightly-too-enthusiastic shower fingering, but he’s a goddamn professional. That was just maintenance. It had nothing to do with the video.

_ Nothing _ .

After several deep breaths to calm his nerves, Kyungsoo hurries to the kitchen in the main part of the house and whips up a quick breakfast to get it over with. It’s not like he’s going to have to deal with Mr. Kim until lunch at the earliest anyway.

“Come in,” says a gruff voice, following Kyungsoo’s single knock.

Fuck. What.

Reluctantly, he opens the door, getting hit full on with a concentrated blast of alpha pheromones. Mr. Kim spends so much time in here, the staff must only be able to wash his sheets every other week. He can smell the stale stench of booze mingling with a milder, odd mix of musky salt with a chemical aftertaste.

Synthetic omega pheromones… and cum. Faint. But he’s a chef, dammit. He’s got a great nose. Today, that is a curse.

Mr. Kim is splayed out on his bed with only a thin silk sheet covering his lower half and a pillow over his face. He mumbles something and rolls onto his back, one leg lifted, causing the sheet to slip down even further, revealing a scandalous amount of hip bone.

Kyungsoo swallows to rewet his throat. “What?”

The pillow lifts up just enough for sound to pass through clearly. “I said: can you feed me,” Mr. Kim rasps. “I’m so hungover, I might just die.”

He can’t tell whether Mr. Kim is just being dramatic or if he’s actually serious. Regarding the feeding part, anyway. What’s worse is this isn’t even that great of a breakfast. He had expected to be snacking on it later, and literally just threw together something halfassedly.

Mr. Kim grunts and surges up to sitting, wiggling backward until he hits the cushiony headboard. There’s the biggest pout on his lips as he finally drops the pillow to stuff it behind his back for support. “I’m so thirsty,” Mr. Kim says, lolling his head to face Kyungsoo.

_ Shit, bitch, me too _ . Kyungsoo forces himself to step closer, to the side of the bed, and holds the tray out. 

Mr. Kim gives him a pathetic look, heaves a sigh, and weakly raises a hand to grab the glass of water, wincing once the cold liquid touches his lips. He lets out a soft whine and shifts again, scooting to the side of the bed and cradling the glass in his lap. “I'm  _ dying _ , Soo.”

Cute. In a really obnoxious way, but… cute. Internally, he's rolling on the floor over the little nickname, but outwardly, Kyungsoo manages to keep his face neutral by looking down at the tray and scooping a bite of rice and steamed egg, safety netting its short journey from the bowl to Mr. Kim's open mouth with his other hand. “Can't be having that,” he says, impressed by how calm he manages to sound, “I happen to like my job.”

Mr. Kim’s other leg drops flat to the bed, and Kyungsoo nearly drops the spoon as he catches sight in his periphery of the morning boner barely covered by the thin sheet. He averts his eyes back to the bowl, feeling his cheeks burn.

“I don't think I've had rice and eggs for breakfast in… probably a decade, at least,” Mr. Kim muses, eyes closed as he chews.

“I'm sorry,” Kyungsoo starts, forcing himself to not strain to make out details. Too late though, his brain has already managed to piece together that with that much bare hip, there's no way Mr. Kim is wearing anything underneath the covers. He sleeps in the nude. Danger. Danger.

“Why?” Mr. Kim has finally craned his eyes open to look at him. “It's really good.” He points at the cold bean sprouts. “I want some of that next.”

“It’s-... If I knew you were actually going to eat today… Here,” Kyungsoo says, straightening up and attempting to pass the whole tray over, only to test his forearm strength by hovering it uselessly in the air. He loses his fight with gravity after half a minute and brings the tray back to his lap.

Mr. Kim’s hands flop against his thighs. “I'm weak and helpless, pity me,” he whines dramatically.

Before he knows it, Kyungsoo is already feeding him another bite, frowning at himself afterward. He's got the strongest impulse to brush the hair out of Mr. Kim's eyes right now, and- and he needs to not. “I didn’t realize you drank that much last night,” he says, crossing his fingers that Mr. Kim might’ve not remembered anything about the video.

Mr. Kim scratches at his stomach, rubbing his fingers into the grooves of his abs as he yawns. “I didn’t.” The pout is back, heaven help him. “It’s not from the alco—”

It’s a weird experience, Kyungsoo observes numbly, being able to actually see the gears turn in someone’s head. 

Mr. Kim's eyes widen as they lock on his. His mouth curves upward into too broad of a smile before he covers it with his hand. A shrill giggle still manages to escape. “I forgot, I sent you a…”

He can feel his cheeks burning as Mr. Kim’s giggles devolve into full on guffaws. Amidst his embarrassment, Kyungsoo’s addled mind zeroes in on how each laugh causes Mr. Kim’s stomach to flex, making the lines of his abdomen grow more pronounced, and how each cackle sends the sheets inching ever lower. This is really not the time.

“Ahem,” Mr. Kim reaches for his phone on his nightstand, wiping away a tear as another snicker bubbles forth. “Anyway. Sorry about that.”

“I…” Kyungsoo purses his lips and forces himself to finally look away from all that skin. “Uh, I haven’t checked my phone. You sent me something?”

There’s a smirk building on Mr. Kim’s lips that manage to silence the laughs. He swipes the phone screen and turns to Kyungsoo, canting his head to the side. “Yeah. I mean, it says here that you saw it last night, but  _ eh _ . Anyway, I have to pee.”

That’s all the warning he gets before Mr. Kim tosses the sheets to the side and scurries off to the bathroom. Kyungsoo had reflexively looked down at the bowl to afford him some privacy, but more importantly, read receipts. How many times has Chanyeol persisted in nagging him on something, because he could see that Kyungsoo had already read the message. It was something he had meant to disable ages ago, and just… oh god.

His boss just caught him in an outright lie. About seeing his dick. A more clever man might be able to play it off as just trying to be respectful and not embarrass his employer, but Kyungsoo is too busy wondering if there’s a count listed on how many times he’s viewed the video to be rational.

Mr. Kim has returned, his bottom half now covered in a pair of lounge pants. He sits down primly on the edge of the bed, closest to Kyungsoo’s chair. His eyes widen as Kyungsoo sets the tray onto his lap and stands.

“You seem to feel better,” Kyungsoo says, rubbing his palms against his thighs. “I’m going to get started on lunch. I have to get some things prepped.” He’s already dashing for the door, already shutting it and bolting to the safety of the kitchen, to prevent hearing an answer.

“ _ Kyungsoo _ …”

Unfortunately, Mr. Kim is a physically fit, very mobile individual, and is fully capable of following Kyungsoo right out of the room and splaying his upper half out across the granite countertop to whine at him at close range.

“Are you mad at me?” Mr. Kim asks. “It was an accident. I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

“I'm not uncomfortable.”

“Then why'd you lie about seeing it? Did you watch it? Did you like it?”

Kyungsoo sets the knife down, giving up on attempting to prep lunch. He levels the zucchini he was going to dice at Mr. Kim’s face, realizing after the fact that it was probably not the most intimidating of choices. “I was trying—I didn’t—” He sighs and shakes the vegetable at the alpha in frustration as he takes a deep inhale, collecting his thoughts. “It’s just a dick pic. I was trying to not make things awkward, since I thought you forgot about it.”

“That’s—”

“An  _ accidental  _ dick pic,” Kyungsoo amends.

“ _ Video _ ,” Mr. Kim corrects, stretching his arms over his head. He catches Kyungsoo staring into one of his pits, and smirks again. When did this smirking habit start. This is like the sixth one this morning.

Kyungsoo purses his lips in disapproval. “Are you hungry?” he asks emotionlessly.

“Are you upset?”

“I’m upset that you’re literally  _ on  _ my prep space. I’m gonna have to wipe this whole counter back down.”

“You’re so fiery today,” Mr. Kim muses, too pleased with his observation. He rolls up to sitting and links his hands together behind himself, stretching his shoulders. He’s not the most ripped alpha Kyungsoo’s seen, but the move defines every muscle in his broad back, and once again, Kyungsoo is caught staring.

This is bullshit. He’s being fucked with. Kyungsoo pins his tongue between his teeth so he can collect his thoughts fully, sighing after Mr. Kim does not fold after their little staredown. “So you sent it on purpose then? Can’t go out to party, so you’ll take what you can get with the help?”

The alpha scrunches up his mouth and slides off the counter, landing directly in front of him and waving at the now empty granite with flourish. “ _ No _ ,” he leans in, tilting his head to the side again. “It was an  _ accident _ . Besides, you make it sound so gross, like I’m so desperate, I’m gonna try to sleep with anybody, when you’re  _ damn  _ fine on any day.”

He’s buying the accident excuse less and less as the conversation progresses, but… what.

“Why do you call my brothers by their names, but you won’t call me Jongin-hyung?” Mr. Kim asks, whiplashing him with another small pout.

Remember to breathe, self. “...They’re not my boss,” he finally mutters, blinking rapidly to reboot himself. Kyungsoo clears his throat. “I’m sure if you explained your predicament to Bodyguard Oh, he’d be fine with you inviting special guests over.”

At the mention of his babysitter, Mr. Kim’s face darkens into sullen storm clouds. Still sore from yesterday’s shutdown, it seems. “Do you call  _ him _ hyung?” he asks.

The question is unexpected. Kyungsoo blinks, trying to will down the spike in his body temperature from this conversation, “I’m older than him.”

“He’s  _ younger _ than me?”

The shrill question is so loaded with indignance, Kyungsoo has to bite back a smile. “I think he’s only twenty-three.”

The alpha rolls his eyes and makes a frenetic hand motion in the air, dismissing the subject. He’s twirling lazily around the kitchen, boredom overriding whatever interest Kyungsoo had provided. “What’s for lunch?” he finally asks, leaning against the counter to watch Kyungsoo dice up potatoes next.

He had not had the attention span to focus on menu for today, and had expected Mr. Kim to be out cold until dinner like always. Kyungsoo is running on autopilot right now, throwing together a quick soybean stew and miscellaneous vegetarian side dishes while Mr. Kim seems to be doing his best to fry his brain again. “Fish,” he answers, chewing on his bottom lip as his mind races, slapping ingredients together mentally and hoping it comes together as a nice dish. It’s either so hot in here, or he’s so thrown off and embarrassed, he’s starting to sweat. “R-red snapper and scallops. In garlic chili sauce,” he adds last second, remembering the alpha’s penchant for garlic.

“Mmm,” Mr. Kim purrs, rapping his fingernails against the surface. “I need to start waking up earlier everyday.”

Please don’t. Well.  _ Do _ , but give him a few days to recover from this, dammit. This isn't fair.

“I thought you bathed at night,” Mr. Kim comments, now bouncing on the balls of his feet. Of course he could tell that there’s no overnight scent lingering from hours of stasis in Kyungsoo’s sheets. Of course, on today of all days, he would.

Thankfully, Kyungsoo manages to bite back an  _ ‘I thought you slept all day, yet here we are _ ’ comment that would surely get him fired. Instead, he grunts and manages to plaster on a hopefully-convincing bored face. “Had to clean up after a friend’s dog, and ended up having to take an emergency shower this morning.”

The excuse is enough, miraculously. Placated, or bored, or sleepy, the alpha runs out of talking points after another minute and wanders away, back to his room. Straining his ears, Kyungsoo can pick up the sound of a shower running. Perhaps Mr. Kim has decided sobriety is best accompanied by hygiene.

Lunch is… tolerable. He had managed to prep for dinner alongside the second meal, and with Mr. Kim fed, he can step out of the house and hide away in a bookstore for the few hours. On his way back, he gets caught in a long conversation with Sehun regarding the history of animal husbandry, and Kyungsoo abandons his reservations with Vivi’s chicken feet to entertain himself while Sehun drones on about traditional ethical practices. It’d be fascinating on a different day. A day where he’s not all hot and bothered by half naked Mr. Kim and flashbacks of his big knot. 

Sehun must have picked up on it, mistaking it for interest and inching ever closer, hoping to shoot his shot. He keeps touching Kyungsoo’s elbow though, so Kyungsoo eventually has enough, rubbing over own shirt sleeves pointedly to stamp out any scents that have been passed over and announcing his departure.

This, of course, leaves him with Mr. Kim, who has decided to join him for the cooking part of dinner as well as the eating. Aside from an unusually predatory low growl when he first stepped into the kitchen, and leaning in a little closer than normal to take a curious whiff, Mr. Kim has at least seemingly moved on from the topic of the video or other scandalous subjects, being quickly diverted back to some inane new hobbies his friends have picked up and are taunting him with. He’s never been so grateful for short attention spans.

The day is over. Maybe this whole fiasco is over.  _ Please _ . Kyungsoo drags his feet, letting his clothes fall off piece by piece after the door shuts behind him. He’ll pick them up in the morning. Right now, he just wants a nice, cooling shower to wash away the sweat and these nerves and Sehun’s obnoxiously clinging scent. He feels exhausted, and tomorrow he’ll have to be up early to head to the market to get fresh groceries again.

Kyungsoo has turned into a prune after standing in the shower for so long before finally deciding that the bed will be a more comfortable place to sleep than under the waterfall. Sluggishly, he towels off and falls onto the sheets. The night is warm, and the soft fabric gliding over his bare skin is cool. It’s comforting. Soothing. Summoning all of his willpower, Kyungsoo manages to retrieve his phone and set an alarm for the morning, feeling a faint sense of disappointment that there had been no new messages from a certain, spoiled employer, but it fades away easily as his eyelids get weighed down.

Groggily, he finds himself stirring from ambiguous dreams in silence. The alarm had not gone off yet, but it is sweltering in his room. He rolls over, taking the sheets with him as his body clings to the damp cotton. Kyungsoo groans as he pushes up onto his forearms, looking around the dim room. The morning has come, and with it, it seems, is his heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of unsure how this chapter should be handled, so that's why it took a little longer. I hope it turned out ok. Plot twist? Obvious turn of events? I really dig bratty, lazy fuck boy Jongin. Like...way more than I should. How do y'all like him? Let me know! <3


	4. Chapter 4

The cellophane wrapping crunches under his feet while Kyungsoo reads through the directions of the kit. It’s pretty standard. Some different stuff from the last time he’s had to actually use one of these heat survival sets, but basically, several hundred grams of fever reducer to keep his core temperature down, a dampener insert to control the amount of slick and tamp down pheromones, scent blockers to help with unwanted attention, some mystery pills that cut the heat down to three or four days, and vitamins.

Heat suppressant is a misnomer. Birth control is one thing, but heats are just part of life. For now, anyway. For omegas, there is only heat management. The best solution is… a good knot. But baring that, there are prescribed heat survival kits and… lots of very unsatisfying orgasms. He rolls over, letting the towel fall away from his lap, and rests a knee on the edge of the mattress. He’s come twice already in the shower, and the meds will need another half hour or so to begin working. Kyungsoo peels apart the clear packaging and holds up the thin plastic rod. It’s shaped, essentially, like a very tiny butt plug, complete with a flared base to keep it secure. A bane, really. Pushing it in slowly, Kyungsoo bites his lip and fights a shudder from the sensation, feeling himself harden again. It helps to keep him from getting unbearably wet with whatever chemicals they’ve managed to infuse into the stiff plastic, but conversely, he has to keep something in his ass all day long, teasing him when he’s already having to suffer.

While he’s contemplating whether or not he should get another wank session in, someone knocks on the door. Hastily, Kyungsoo leaps to his feet, wiping slick off of his fingertips onto the towel, and yanks some clothes on.

Sehun has his mouth open, ready to greet, but only manages a low moan as his eyes bulge out. He is holding his dog in one arm and a set of tiny black leather jackets in the other. 

Kyungsoo clears his throat and takes a step back into the room, “I don’t think I can go with you guys this morning.”

It takes Vivi squirming and nearly falling out of his grip to startle the bodyguard out of his trance. Thank goodness, he has the animal restrained. Kyungsoo does not need dogs to try and hump his leg on top of everything else he’s got to deal with today. 

Sehun looks damn good today. Sehun looks damn enticing today. Sehun shakes his head quickly and lets out another moan, softer this time, his cheeks pinking instantly. “O-of course. I-... you-... do you need anything? I can help, uhh, …with whatever you need.”

“Actually, if you guys are going by the market, I need some groceries,” Kyungsoo suddenly remembers, eager to change the subject. He darts back to his desk and pulls out the card issued for Mr. Kim’s purchases, handing it over to Sehun, who stares down at the piece of plastic and takes another deep inhale. “I’ll text you the list.”

“Right,” Sehun nods, after awhile. “Right.” He sucks his lower lip into his mouth and stares at Kyungsoo again.

“Thanks. Anyway, I’ve gotta get ready, so…” He will not fuck his coworker. He will  _ not _ fuck his coworker. If he’s that affected by Sehun… Kyungsoo sighs as he looks at his reflection, adjusting his outfit, once the door has been shut. He can’t smell a difference in his scent, of course, but he knows it must be a lot stronger. His skin is glowing, his cheeks are flush, his lips fuller, his eyes shinier. It’s going to get even more ridiculous over the next couple of days. He’s a walking sex beacon, and he’s living among a couple of alphas with literal heat-seeking devices while being insatiably horny.  _ What _ could go wrong.

His first attempt at breakfast gets burnt as Kyungsoo’s thoughts skip between old sexual fantasies. The damn plug. It’s too small to provide any relief, but so unsatisfyingly insistent, that Kyungsoo is  _ wet _ again. But he is running late, and this is just unacceptable. Forcing himself to focus, he manages to procure a successful second attempt and rushes the tray to Mr. Kim’s bedroom.

Hearing the answering grunt to his single knock, Kyungsoo takes a deep breath, steels his nerves, and walks in. Mr. Kim has only the thin sheet around him again, this time just the slimmest amount around his waist and one leg, exposing the other all the way up to upper thigh. Kyungsoo watches, transfixed, as Mr. Kim groggily pulls himself up to sitting.

“Mmm,” Mr. Kim moans raspily, scrubbing at his eyes. “My favorite. I love strawberries. I can eat them all day.”

Kyungsoo looks down at the tray, at the lone spinach and chicken crepe and glass of orange juice, and looks back up again, locking eyes with Mr. Kim, who slowly realizes also, that there are no strawberries on this morning’s menu. His hands grip the tray tighter.

Mr. Kim swallows audibly, his eyes shuttering as he takes a slow, deep inhale. Kyungsoo expects a moan, like Sehun, and braces for it. 

What he gets instead is a crooked, cocky smirk, followed by a pink tongue licking lewdly over Mr. Kim’s pouty lips. “Well, I guess breakfast can wait.”

A video clip of a knot swelling at the base of a thick cock flashes through his mind, too fresh in his memory, and Kyungsoo has to grit his teeth to halt the whimper in his throat from coming forth. He will not fuck his  _ boss _ . He will  _ not  _ fuck his boss. He takes a step forward and sets the tray on the bed, a safe distance away, fighting the very strong urge to tug the sheet the rest of the way down and climb in. “It really can’t. Here you go.”

He manages four steps past the threshold before he breaks into a run for his own bedroom. Away from temptation. His door barely closes behind him before he’s stripping down, eyes closed as he tries to hold on to the memory of Mr. Kim’s scent, his bared skin. He didn’t realize he’d be so affected. His pants cling stubbornly as he tries to kick them and his briefs off simultaneously, the damp fabric dragging reluctantly down his legs.

Kyungsoo lets out a low whimper as he reaches back to remove the dampener. The widest part stretches his rim on its way out, cruelly reminding him of just how empty he is. Burrowing his face into the mattress, Kyungsoo fucks himself with the thin plastic several times before conceding that it is just not enough, tossing it onto the sheets and replacing it with his fingers. It's meant to be a medical instrument, not a toy, although for the life of him, Kyungsoo can't decipher why it couldn't be both, other than to suit conservative, archaic insurance requirements.

Desperately, he tries to bring back memories of the last time he's slept with an alpha, to hasten this orgasm along so he can get back to work. It must've been his previous heat. Some waiter from the last restaurant he worked at. Good knot, good stroke, and utter shit at everything else. 

_ “Is this what you wanted?” _ a familiar voice intones, inside his head, and Kyungsoo gasps as a jolt of pleasure shoots up his spine as the figure from his memory shifts. The man buried inside of him smirks as he bends Kyungsoo nearly in half. 

_ “Have you been a good boy, Kyungsoo?” _ he imagines Mr. Kim purring into his ear. Awkwardly, he falls to his side and pats around for his phone, frantically pulling up the messages and replaying the video.

His hips are moving on their own volition, thrusting back against his fingers and forward, barely enough to grant his dick some much needed friction. On screen, Mr. Kim's knot starts to swell as he takes another hit of the pheromones.

Kyungsoo's legs twitch as his orgasm finally hits, jerking erratically as his hole spasms around his fingers. More slick pours out, and he drops the phone to wipe away tears with his clean hand. His vision slowly refocuses. The first day is always the most intense. He  _ needs _ to be fucked. As he rolls onto his back and tries to catch his breath, Kyungsoo stares up at the ceiling, trying to recall if there are any alphas with whom he can call in a favor. This is torturous.

_ “I guess breakfast can wait. _ ” So presumptuous. So very literally cocksure.

Sehun had offered this morning too, he recalls, forcing himself to his feet to start cleaning up. He rinses the dampener off and pushes it back in, sighing once it slides into place. He's going to have to figure out some sort of defense from these two, before he finds himself spitroasted between them for some relief.

…Not that that sounds entirely unattractive at this moment.

—

Several hours later, Kyungsoo has successfully wound himself down and rehydrated enough to feel human again. Ironically. He needs to get lunch going. The pork belly needs to be marinated. The cucumbers need to be prepped.

On the counter sits a giant bouquet of picture perfect, baby pink roses, its sweet fragrance perfuming the entire room.

What in fresh fuck… Kyungsoo steps slowly, leaning in only close enough to make out his name on the card, before jerking back, as if the arrangement was poisonous.

Mr. Kim's door is hanging open, no occupant within. Kyungsoo trails his scent, making his way to the balcony before stopping so suddenly, his foot squeaks against the smooth tile.

The alpha is still not dressed, clad in his customary lounge pants and nothing else as he completes a series of pushups in rapid succession. To keep his overgrown hair out of his eyes, he's looped it up into a little bun atop his head. His moves are crisp and controlled as he repeatedly pushes off the floor. Kyungsoo forgets entirely his reasoning for tracking his boss down while he gawks at Mr. Kim's sweaty back, watching the muscles flex and contract, glistening in the late morning sun.

His hole throbs, clenching uselessly around the dampener.

“Kyungsoo?”

Hello. There are a pair of perky nipples advancing toward him carrying with them the most mouthwatering scent. A bead of sweat drips down smooth, tanned skin, hitting an areola and detouring in a semicircle before continuing its busy journey downward, veering sharply once it reaches the dip of abdomen muscles. It grazes a mole, unbothered, and powers along until it gets caught in a belly button. Trapped. Kyungsoo wants to lick it back out.

Someone clears their throat. Kyungsoo blinks and looks up to see Mr. Kim’s smirking face directly in front of him. He hadn't realized he had gotten up. And come so close.

Danger.

...But it’s not sleeping with his boss if he just asks to rub his face into Mr. Kim’s armpit, right? Or if he can just… sniff his dick really briefly. Or have him just...drag the head of it across Kyungsoo's cheek at least. 

He looks too tasty.

“Lunchtime already?”

Fighting shivers, Kyungsoo levels his best attempt at a hard stare, gallantly ignoring the bulge in Mr. Kim's pant leg. The musk. Lunch. Focus. “What's up with the flowers?” he asks.

Mr. Kim raises an eyebrow before lifting his arms up, clasping his fingers together behind his head in a stretch. Fuck. Broad. Pits. Sweat.

_ Alpha _ . Yummy alpha.

“Hmm?”

He's lost in a trance tracking another drop of sweat when a touch on his shoulder jerks him out of his daydream. “...The flowers. What is that supposed to be about?” His question has lost a lot of its original heat. Unlike his body, which is somehow only gaining.

Following Mr. Kim’s befuddled expression, Kyungsoo leads His Sweatiness back to the kitchen, gesturing at the bouquet before turning around and crossing his arms sternly.

A sneer forms on Mr. Kim's face briefly. He looks as if he's bitten into something unpleasant. “That's… not… from me.”

A more thorough investigation of the note shows that it is a gift from Bodyguard Oh, with a brief:  _ “You're probably feeling bad, so I hope this made you smile. Let me know if I can help with anything.” _

“Gag,” Mr. Kim groans from behind him. He had snuck up and read the note over Kyungsoo's shoulder.

Kyungsoo touches one of the buds, stroking its soft petals, fighting the urge to lean back as Mr. Kim sniffs the air around his head and dips in closer. “It's sweet.”

“He's trying to buy his way into your—” Mr. Kim’s lips do an awkward shuffling thing, as if it takes a massive amount of effort to hold back the words he wants to say. A small growl rumbles from his chest. “He's trying to buy his way into your heart.”

“I know. It's quite sweet.” 

“You  _ can't  _ be serious. This is what does it for you?”

Why is he so chatty before dinner, Kyungsoo needs time to ready himself for interacting with Mr. Kim, especially today of all days. “Why does that bother you? You're the one trying to push some workplace romance when you were setting up your party.”

“Um, not romance. I wanted you to be my  _ accomplice _ . I wasn't trying to play matchmaker.”

“Could've fooled me.”

Mr. Kim circles the counter, sneaking disapproving looks at the bouquet while he watches Kyungsoo start to dice up ingredients. “You're not considering it, are you?”

“What, seeing what Bodyguard Oh wants to help me with? It's tempting.” Actually true. Which speaks to how bad this heat must be, if he's really fantasizing about sleeping with his boss and/or his coworker nonstop, and actually entertaining the idea of turning these fantasies into real life porn. It would help,  _ drastically _ , if the boss in question would stop flexing and prancing around shirtless right now. Within licking distance.

Mr. Kim clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “Oof, that'd be a bad idea…”

He waits expectantly, getting only a smug stare back from Mr. Kim. Kyungsoo clears his throat and sets the knife back down on the cutting board with a sigh. “And why is that?”

“It'd get so  _ messy _ . He likes you. There'd be emotions and clinginess and needs and talks afterwards. Or  _ during _ .” Mr. Kim feigns a shudder before pretending to ponder, steadily tapping the countertop with a fingernail, “You need, like, a sexbot.”

“A sexbot.”

“Like those robot sex toy things? But I mean like, figuratively. You need someone who could just help out, but with no strings attached. So you don't have to deal with any awkwardness after.”

“...An  _ escort service _ .”

Mr. Kim flails his hands and turns to face him fully. “Not— No, not that! I meant like someone you  _ know  _ and  _ trust _ , but won't try to be all over you after. Causing you emotional duress.”

_ This  _ is his proposal? Kyungsoo chews on his upper lip, lunch having slipped entirely out of his mind as he regards Mr. Kim and his sweaty, half-naked, man-bunned alphaness and his offer. He clears his throat, “Anyone you'd recommend?”

Mr. Kim gives him a look of disbelief before pointing at himself. “ _ Me _ . I meant me.”

“You're suggesting I go sleep with my boss.” 

“Okay, first off,” Mr. Kim holds a finger up, “the word 'boss’ makes it sound like we hold conferences and I delegate shit to you or something. You just feed me. That's hardly a professional setting.” A second finger goes up. “Also, boss who? Like I said, just like… someone who's willing to help out a fellow wolf, not wanting him to suffer or make poor life choices. Just Jongin-hyung, the good Samaritan, who happens to conveniently be right here.”

Kyungsoo gawks, holding back a laugh, “That is so shameless.”

“Hard to feel shame when you smell like this…” Mr. Kim's eyes grow hungry again, narrowing as he takes in lungfuls of Kyungsoo's scent. “You’d smell better without whatever it is that you're using.”

As if he needed a reminder of the dampener’s presence. It’s finally working, but his heats have always been notoriously  _ wet _ , so he doesn’t have a lot of faith for how much a thin stick of plastic can do.

A nice alpha knot however… 

“I think you  _ have  _ been cooped up in your house for too long,” Kyungsoo says, shakily picking the knife back up and going for nonchalant dicing. It’s that or bend over the counter and drop his pants. “Your game is weak.”

He's sweating already, though, so likely Mr. Kim sees right through this. Can smell right through this. Mr. Kim and his spicy, musky alpha scent, and his cooling sweat on his bronzed god bod, and his ridiculous man bun. He looks delicious.

The next time he looks up, Mr. Kim is right in front of him, everpresent smirk on his lips as he guides the knife safely down to the board with a soft touch on Kyungsoo’s wrist and leans in. “I'm just offering… And I’d know what I'm doing, as opposed to some inexperienced kid with a crush.”

“We don't know that he's inexperienced.”

Mr. Kim backs away, flicking at a rosebud from the large bouquet and raising his brows, as if that answered everything. He shoots Kyungsoo some finger guns and swivels, marching back to his room.

Luckily, or not, depending on how you look at the situation, Mr. Kim’s cousin arrives for lunch, lecturing him on how they're going to have to start setting deadlines for his preparation to enter the company. She gets Kyungsoo's plate so that he can escape to wank in the privacy of his own room, so wet now that the dampener is starting to slip out. Thankfully, she doesn't ask questions or offer invasive comments, but Mr. Kim's eyes follow him like a predator sighting in its prey. It's intense. He enjoys it way too much, even several orgasms later.

“I know you normally have dinner with Mr. Kim,” Sehun says while he watches Kyungsoo pull meat out of the refrigerator, leaning as much as he can into the door frame. His pupils are blown. Kyungsoo wouldn't be surprised if his canines were out. “But with all that you're… going through, I can keep him company instead. If you want.”

Actually. Yes. That's the best plan ever, because otherwise, he's going to be climbing Mr. Kim like a tree. He wipes the sweat from his brow as he nods, reaching for a towel to dry off a little better. Some of the meds take longer than others to kick in, and right now, he is getting closer to just sticking his ass out the door and accepting any takers. 

This is good. Let the alphas deal with each other.

—

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ lol I just realized if I pull up your chat the video is just sitting right here _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ whoops _

_ pls never go into acting _

_ that was terrible. _

_ are you not enjoying your dinner _

_ why are you on your phone _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ why am i being punished :( _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ i’m not the one who tried to scent you earlier :( _

_ no you just tried to fight him _

_ that was 50 shades of awkward _

_ did you send me that video on purpose then? _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ hmm I didn't realize the sight of my knot would send you into heat but that's fine I'll take responsibility _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ reparations can start after I'm done with this delicious meal my fav omega made me :) _

_ ok 1, that’s not an answer _

_ 2, you did not send me into heat, that’s not how it works _

_ 3, omg kissass!! _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ 3, if you ask nicely :) _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ 4, you’re not saying no _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ my room? 5 min? :) _

_ be a good host for your bodyguard _

_ put your phone away _

_ eat _

_ I worked hard on that meal _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ so….my room….5 min then? :) :) :) _

_ sehun is there _

_ knot him _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ :( _

_ hey there are alphas out there who like being knotted _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ and god bless them _

_ you're so gross _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ but I'll pass on your fanboy _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ not my type _

_ oh that means he'll be free later then... _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ he won't. _

_ that's rather imperious for “not your boss, not at all, just a good guy wanting to help out in the house" _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ if you're worried about his feelings, I can sneak into your room _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ which smells amazing even from here _

_ flattery don't charge these batteries _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ I like this sass _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ it's very hot _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ so fitting _

_ it's a line from wreck it ralph _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ :) _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ so :) _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ whatcha doing? :) _

_ ignoring you for your own good _

_ EAT _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ :( _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for cutting it there. It was already getting long, and there was a lot more to go, and I didn't want to post like a 7k chapter, so it's getting another update before GG does. Ahem, any guesses on what'll happen next? Jongin might sound a little greasy, but please do remember that 1) they're wolves, they're more...primal than we are, especially during heat, which is basically fuck season, and 2) he and Kyungsoo ARE attracted to each other, even without the heat.
> 
> I wrote an angsty nonAU, if anyone wants to check that out. It's [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13628898), called Been Through, if you want to check that out. Currently, the update schedule is the next chapter of Yes, Alpha, followed by Glucose Guardian. Lizzie and I will be chugging out that I'm Into You chapter throughout this week too, and Bang & Burn's next update is coming soon. Wizards In Training will also be brought back out of hiatus finally, with some revisions.
> 
> As usual, I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/filet_jignon) and [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/filet_jignon) if you want to come hang with me there. I post snippets of WIPs sometimes. :)


	5. Chapter 5

He should cook.

It's 2 a.m., and he is wide awake, and the lamb needs to be braised, and now would be better than later.

His fingers cramped up on him the last time he tried to wank, and Kyungsoo had to resort to Lackluster Lefty to finish himself off, and he knows he doesn't really give a single fuck about braising lamb right now.

...None of this changes the fact that he should go do it. Like right now.  _ He's  _ the lamb.  _ He  _ needs braising. So to speak.

A part of him expects to bump right into a certain alpha when he opens his door, and he finds himself feeling rather sulky that nobody is there to greet on him the other side. Strawberry lover, his ass.

Clad only in an old, oversized tee, Kyungsoo tiptoes across the warm wood planks of the house, into the dark kitchen, imagining Spanish guitar strumming in the background, to the beat of each footstep. In his mind, as he pulls the vacuum sealed bag of meat from the refrigerator, someone would be whispering something scandalous in his ear as he straightens up. However, once he flicks the lights on, there is only the bouquet of roses on the counter to greet him, sporting a few damaged buds. Not exactly his idea of a clandestine rendezvous in the moonlight. No one shoving him up against the fridge and lifting his shirt over his bare ass.

Perhaps he should go back and put his uniform back on. Or baring that, some pants. Or underwear. Really, it's a safety hazard.

Mildly embarrassed, Kyungsoo gets to work on the lamb, hoping to just hurry up with it and get back to the safety of his room. His temperature has been fine all day, thankfully, and he's had no aches and pains.

Just some knot lust, and apparently, the cure for that is asleep.

Simmering with annoyance, Kyungsoo gets the rack of lamb into the pot, drops the lid on it, and storms off for Mr. Kim's room. He has  _ needs _ , goddammit, and he's been teased with empty promises.

The alpha’s scent is stronger toward the stairs, however, and out of curiosity, Kyungsoo follows it, back up to the balcony, where a surprised Mr. Kim turns from one of the lounge chairs at his arrival.

Mr. Kim…

He's still shirtless. Wearing a different pair of pants now that he's showered the sweat away, and his hair loose. Mr. Kim lowers the book he was reading into his lap slowly. His tongue licks over his lips as he reaches up to brush a stray lock out of his face and pull the gold framed glasses off the bridge of his nose, setting them down on a side table. Kyungsoo didn’t even  _ know _ he wore glasses. Next thing he knows, Mr. Kim will be wearing shirts, socks, and shoes, like a person and not some feral thing.

The smirk only grows as his eyes drag down Kyungsoo's body, and Kyungsoo is suddenly reminded that he is wearing only the thinnest of t-shirts that barely covers any of his thighs. He's wearing a very transparent declaration with obvious intent.

“Ravenclaw,” Mr. Kim reads off of his shirt, swiveling the chair so he can face Kyungsoo directly without having to get up. “I didn't figure you for a Ravenclaw.”

He takes a step closer, standing at the threshold. The late night air is nice, if a bit humid. From here, he can see Mr. Kim’s nostrils flare as he takes his next inhale. He doesn’t bother to answer.

The book lands next to the glasses with a soft thud. It’s a tome, but from here, Kyungsoo can’t make out what the subject is. Mr. Kim pats his lap, cockily canting his head to the left. “I can’t help you from there, babe.”

Asshole. There’s no point in games anymore, but he’s still tempted to snark. Right as Kyungsoo opens his mouth to retort, his breath hitches as Mr. Kim wraps a hand around his clothed cock and tugs it slowly. The words sizzle on his tongue before they can escape, extinguished, forgotten, as he gawks.

“Come here,” Mr. Kim beckons, pushing his waistband down and reaching in to yank his cock out as Kyungsoo approaches. The alpha points the tip at him. “You wanna suck on it?”

His mouth is watering. Summoning massive amounts of willpower, Kyungsoo bats away the hand that reaches for his own erection and ignores the resulting pout. He has needs, but he has sense too, dammit. “Shouldn’t we go back to your room?”

“What’s wrong with here?”

Kyungsoo gives him a pointed look, “Do you keep condoms in your balcony?”

Mr. Kim looks nearly offended. “You’re going to make me wear a condom? Why? I can smell the meds on you.”

“Do you not have any?”

Mr. Kim shrugs, surging forward to wrap his hand around the back of Kyungsoo’s thigh, only to have his exploration upward halted.

“You know, it’s not  _ that  _ late. I bet  _ Bodyguard Oh _ wouldn’t protest to condoms—”

His sentence is cut short as Kyungsoo is lifted into the air with a low snarl and lands in Mr. Kim’s lap. The alpha’s next breath comes out as a soft groan as he hitches Kyungsoo’s shirt up to his belly button, dark eyes fixed on the newly exposed skin.

“So what’s up?” Kyungsoo whispers, stabilizing himself with a knee on either side of Mr. Kim’s long legs.

_ “Me, _ ” Mr. Kim growls as he tucks a hand under Kyungsoo’s thigh to dig through his own pant pocket, procuring a condom from within and holding it up with a sneer for Kyungsoo to inspect.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“ _ I _ am,” Mr. Kim continues to grumble, making swift work of the t-shirt, his eyes somehow growing even more intense as they rake over Kyungsoo’s body.

“Yeah, I get it, you like making dick jokes, you’re horny,” Kyungsoo gasps as the hands on his thighs come up to squeeze at his ass, immediately spreading them apart and prodding at the cleft. His whole body jolts a moment later as the dampener gets plucked out and tossed to the other side of the balcony, skidding across the ground. “Hey! I need that!”

“No, you don’t,” Mr. Kim nuzzles into his chest, attending to an erect nipple. His tongue traces rapid circles around it, sending tiny shocks through Kyungsoo’s body. “Fuck—holy  _ fuck _ , you smell so good. You taste so good.”

For a minute, he is dazed, having just enough mind to lean into the touch as Mr. Kim licks his way up to Kyungsoo's neck and sucks hickies into his skin, causing him to gasp and sink his fingers into Mr. Kim's hair, gripping it tight to direct it to more sensitive spots. But eventually, his body calms down just enough for him to pat around for the condom and rip the packaging open, pushing the alpha away from him enough to reach between them and try to roll it on with shaky hands.

If he were in his right mind, he'd be mocking the knot condom. As if regular condoms can't accommodate a knot. But Mr. Kim’s is swollen and ready, hot to the touch, and Kyungsoo is dripping wet, and as he's working the condom down, the alpha plunges two fingers into his ass and latches back onto his neck, moaning loudly, and he decides that there will be plenty of other opportunities for mockery.

“How many times have you come today?” The alpha seems determined to leave as many marks as possible in Kyungsoo’s skin, biting and sucking all the way to his shoulders as he lifts Kyungsoo up enough to line himself up, pressing the tip in, but gripping the shaft so that Kyungsoo can’t drop down.

“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo snarls in exasperation. Too close, and yet not enough. “Like probably a dozen.” He groans loudly as Mr. Kim’s hand moves away and he hurriedly sinks down. With a little bit of encouragement, the growing knot manages to pop into place, snugly past his rim. It sends tingles all over his body, tickling the tip of his nose as his eyes flutter shut, enjoying the much-needed pressure.

Mr. Kim starts to lift his hips, grinding slowly into him. “Is this what you needed?” At Kyungsoo’s absent nod, he goes back to sucking at another nipple.

Opening his eyes and looking down, Kyungsoo discovers dozens of purpling marks all over his chest. Who knows how many more are up his neck where he can’t see.

“Tell daddy how much you need it.”

“Oh, gross,” Kyungsoo rears back to give him a disgusted look.

His remark seems to only spur Mr. Kim on. Gripping his waist, the alpha starts snapping his hips upward, yanking Kyungsoo down with each shallow stroke. His grin grows with each moan he manages to pull forth. “C’mon, Soo,” Mr. Kim purrs, “tell me how much you like daddy’s knot.”

“You’re so—” He’s interrupted by a blinding light behind his eyelids, gasping for breath as an orgasm rocks through him. Vaguely, he can feel someone’s hands on his back, supporting him as his body seizes up, arching back. It had built up and exploded so fast, he was completely taken off guard. His body is still twitching, clenching tight around Mr. Kim’s cock, even as the knot continues to press insistently against his sweet spot, now too sensitive.

“There you go, breathe,” instructs Mr. Kim, looking impossibly more smug as he strokes Kyungsoo’s sides. He’s got a bit of cum on his chin, and more dotting his chest, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Kyungsoo smears it over the alpha’s cheek, and the rest all over his pecs, scrunching his nose at Mr. Kim’s questioning look.

“You’re gonna make me wear a condom, and then do that?”

“You said I smelled so good, didn’t you?” Dammit, it just doesn’t have the intended effect when he’s still so out of breath.

Mr. Kim catches his wrist and carefully licks off all of the remaining cum from his fingers, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around each digit. His cock pulses inside of Kyungsoo, causing him to tremble in response. “You look so hot when you come.”

Kyungsoo gulps.

The alpha bends him backward, so he can dip his head down and lick at an errant drop on Kyungsoo’s chest, before straightening them back out. He  _ smells _ muskier, pupils dilated. His lips are parted just enough that Kyungsoo can make out the start of fangs and bites back a moan. Mr. Kim is close to shifting. So close, in fact, that his eyes seem to glow. Kyungsoo had already came. They’re locked together for at least the next several minutes.

“Mr. Kim,” he whispers, as a gentle warning. He’s in no position to shift.

Oblivious or enjoying the potential for chaos, Mr. Kim starts nibbling on his neck again. “Mm, say ‘daddy, please,’ baby, and I’ll let you come again.”

“What? Ew, no.” He pushes Mr. Kim back against the seat, causing them to both gasp as the movement pushes him deeper into Kyungsoo’s body. Of course, the playboy would have a daddy kink. So predictable. Kyungsoo braces his hands on Mr. Kim’s chest and rolls his hips, grinding his ass down against the alpha’s pubic bone, moaning along with him. He can work with that though. He just needs a change in tactics. “Alpha,” he whimpers out, fluttering his lashes, shaping each syllable around a pout, internally smirking as he sees Mr. Kim’s eyes darken. “Alpha, I  _ need _ it, I need to come…”

Mr. Kim is so far gone that he doesn’t press for more. His eyes glaze over and in the next breath, he’s attached to Kyungsoo’s neck again, teeth grazing as he suctions hard. Kyungsoo is going to be sporting a full collar of bruises by morning.

The only warning he has is a hand on the small of his back before they’re flipped over, Mr. Kim pinning his ass to the edge of the cushion and folding Kyungsoo’s legs up so he can properly leverage his cock in deep and fast. It’s a little difficult at first, with Kyungsoo’s orgasm making the fit temporarily tighter, but he powers forth nonetheless. He’s holding Kyungsoo by his ankles, crossing them together so he can use just one hand, the other bracing himself upright, the determination growing on his face as the sounds from Kyungsoo’s lips escalate.

He can hear the roar vibrating his ears, but it doesn’t occur to him for a few stunned seconds that it’s actually himself producing the noise until his jerking legs bring him back to his senses. The twitching only seems to spur the alpha on, growling as he dips down to bite at Kyungsoo’s calves, discovering new canvas to leave his marks.

The sensitivity dies down after a few long seconds, and Kyungsoo reaches up to hold his legs open, blinking away hot tears. He groans, stuttering out incoherent sounds as the alpha takes advantage of the position by bending down, licking up any cum in reach that’s spattered onto Kyungsoo’s chest before once again latching onto his nipples.

He feels delirious, blissfully high as Mr. Kim’s moans get louder, mewling as the grip on his thighs tighten. The alpha’s mouth hangs open as his dull gaze alternates between where they’re joined and Kyungsoo’s flushed face. Mr. Kim lets out a single grunt before seizing up, holding his breath as he pushes as deep in as he can go, groaning as his cock starts to spasm, rippling forth Kyungsoo’s own orgasm as fireworks go off behind his eyelids.

There is sweat beading on Mr. Kim’s chest, and Kyungsoo flexes, pulling himself up enough to lick a stripe of it, inwardly preening as the alpha shudders and comes again, moaning sleepily. They don’t talk, which suits him just fine for the first several minutes, but the position had been aching his back from the start, and the discomfort is starting to get more demanding. FInally, he requests that they be rearranged while they wait, frowning as the head on his chest doesn’t respond.

Surely, big, bad alpha didn’t just fall asleep…

“Hey,” he prods again. “I need to move. I can’t feel my legs.”

Mr. Kim’s biceps bulge as he stands up, lifting Kyungsoo with him. His brows furrow into determination as he breathes steadily, kicking Kyungsoo’s abandoned shirt to the side and heading back in.

“You could’ve just flipped us over.”

“Shh.”

The trip down the stairs was interesting. Each step bounces Kyungsoo down on the still formed knot, and they have to stop three steps from the bottom as he comes, going momentarily limbless and forcing Mr. Kim to provide full support to avoid sending both of them falling headfirst to their tangled doom.

“You’re gonna kill us,” Mr. Kim whines out, trying to hold onto the railing for balance.

“It was not my idea to walk down the stairs like this!” Kyungsoo hisses back breathlessly.

The alpha snaps, “Are you good?”

Managing a tired nod, Kyungsoo wraps his legs back around Mr. Kim’s waist, barely noticing his surroundings until he’s being laid down on soft sheets.

“You’re a shit Uber driver,” he mumbles, eyes gluing shut as an arm pulls him close to a warm chest. “This isn’t my room.”

“You’re gonna want to go again in a few hours.” A cool sheet lands on both of them, silky smooth and gliding against his skin. “Condoms are in the drawer. Just wake me up when it’s time to come.”

He’s so comfortable, he’s already half-dreaming. “Goodnight, Knotbot.”

“What?”


	6. Chapter 6

Heat dreams are always wild. Kyungsoo suspects that the medication he’s on actually exacerbates them even further. Wild, sticky debauchery, acrobatic positions, and basically, an endless sea of knots and cum. And above the haze of arousal, a cocky, timber voice asking, “Tell daddy how much you need it. You wanna suck on it?”

Slowly, awareness of his own body and his surroundings start to come to him as the dreams fade away. He’s turned on, small sounds leaving his mouth as he feels something drag heavily against his rim, and he pushes his ass back against it, seeking more friction.

The hand on his hip grips tighter, and a low growl vibrates against the back of his neck, followed by some curious sniffing into his nape. His skin is tingling all over. He arches his back, coaxing the cockhead to aim more deliberately, whining when it only rubs over the puckered flesh instead of in, and slides wetly up the seam of his ass.

The scent in the sheets is intoxicating. He can smell the warmth of a rutting alpha mixing with his own pheromones, his slick inviting more of the musk and spice to encase him, satisfying that primal part of his brain that just wants to be claimed and adored and fucked senseless. It's such a sharp contrast to how he woke up yesterday, starving for touch and burning up, that he feels intoxicated.

“Hurry,” he whines, arching his back further, holding his breath and waiting to be stretched out, stuffed full.

The hand on his hip drops down to direct the tip of the cock to sit neatly at his entrance, and then leans somehow even closer, a firm chest flush against his back. “Like this?” growls a husky whisper against his ear, and he can hear the arousal in the voice, but below it, the uncertainty in the question.

Clarity dawns on him, all at once, of last night’s shenanigans, the guest star in his dreams, and the owner of the dick pressing up against his hole. He tenses up for a few seconds before twisting his upper body around, to lock eyes with a heavy-lidded Mr. Kim, who licks his lips and stares intensely down at Kyungsoo’s.

“Condom, hurry,” Kyungsoo manages, grateful that Mr. Kim must also be too far gone with everything right now to argue. It’s not even half a minute later that he’s groaning into a pillow as the alpha wraps a condom on and pushes in, humming his own satisfied moan as Kyungsoo clenches around him.

Fingertips graze over one of his nipples, pinching, and Kyungsoo hisses, reflexively pushing them away and shielding himself. “Ow!”

“What?”

The tingling ache is already dissipating, and he's too preoccupied with the heavy weight that fills and shunts him forward with each thrust that it takes him a few seconds to register the question. “You were too rough,” he stutters out, remembering Mr. Kim's treatment of them last night as he reaches out to brace himself with the headboard, moaning through gritted teeth, “they're all sore.”

“You loved it.” There's no doubt in Mr. Kim’s voice. He rolls them forward, so Kyungsoo is flat on his tummy, arms outstretched. There is a lot of pressure as he pushes insistently, pressing the thick knot in past the muscle ring. It goes in smoothly, he is plenty stretched from the night before and his heat ensures there's more than enough lubrication. Mr. Kim rams into him in short, powerful thrusts, causing his ass cheeks to jiggle obscenely. “You were so wet”—he growls out after each slap—“like right now.”

That's pretty undeniable. Kyungsoo flails to get up onto his knees, not even able to wrap his hand around his own cock to tug at it properly, and just palming at it for a few breathless moments before he comes, hips bucking and legs twitching. The pillow manages to muffle most of the incoherent noises he garbles out.

“You come so easily,” Mr. Kim remarks with a soft chuckle, gripping onto his hips to add more power to each thrust. “I love it. You like my cock that much, baby? Or you just need to be knotted that badly?”

“I—” He wants to shut that smartass mouth up, but he's still too breathless, only able to manage moans and gasps at this point. Dropping his hands off the headboard shifts the angle, and Mr. Kim's fat knot pushes into a spot inside him that has his legs jerking involuntarily with each pass over it. It's intense and mind-numbing, and all he can do is claw helplessly at the pillow and mewl, feeling the next wave slowly approaching.

“I've got you,” Mr. Kim whispers, biting at his neck. His hand wraps around Kyungsoo's cock, causing it to twitch and pulse, and barely three tugs later, he's coming again, shrieking this time as his vision whites out.

Lucky for his ego, the orgasm sweeps Mr. Kim along with it, and the alpha’s breath hitches as he lurches forward, grinding as deep into Kyungsoo as he can, groaning as he bites down harder on the column of Kyungsoo's neck. It coincides with the cloud of alpha pheromones rushing to Kyungsoo's nostrils, like a heady drug, hitting straight into his brain.  _ Alpha, alpha, alpha.  _

They lay joined, gasping for breath. It's not easy, but Kyungsoo manages to twist the upper half of his body around enough to burrow his face into the alpha’s neck, licking at the sweat gathered there and sniffing into his hairline, smearing the pheromones onto himself, basking in it. Mr. Kim indulges him, even sweeping a hand up his stomach, cautiously brushing over a sensitive nipple, before settling into the junction under Kyungsoo's arm, playing with the dense, slightly damp hair there.

A minute into satisfying his wolf needs, it sinks into him that the roughly five-hundred-or-so grams of dick that's currently lodged up his ass happens to belong to his  _ boss _ . 

He's trying to consider the ramifications of this indulgence, when Mr. Kim leans forward and licks at the tip of his nose, producing a pleased, vibrating sound afterward, and Kyungsoo's brain short circuits. They're supposed to be better than this. Civilized, even in their most primal moments. Instead, he's preening at all the attention the rutting alpha is lavishing upon him, inhaling the possessive pheromones with delight.

“This isn't fair,” whines Mr. Kim as Kyungsoo tests their connection a few minutes later.

“What's not fair?”

“We literally can't get STIs, it's not like it's easy for male omegas to get pregnant in the first place,  _ and  _ you're on birth control,” Mr. Kim is actually pouting as he rants. “ _ Why _ can't I come inside you? I have  _ needs _ .”

“Bec—”

_ “I heard it even helps you feel better,”  _ Mr. Kim adds sulkily.

“It does,” Kyungsoo sighs and slowly eases forward, willing his body to relax further as his rim finally decides to regain some elasticity and loosen, freeing them. He shudders as Mr. Kim's cock slips out of him, the casing trailing heavily. “I'd still rather you wear your ridiculous alpha condoms though.”

He lifts up to watch Mr. Kim scowl as he gingerly tugs off the condom, tying it at the end. It's almost comical looking, a water balloon full of alpha cum. A part of him is disgusted, picturing having to deal with that mess as it slowly leaked down his inner thighs all day, and still another part craves it, wants nothing more than for his alpha to plug all of that up inside him, pushing it in deeper, so that he can parade around with it all day, and whatever it is that is wolf in him can be satisfied at smelling like another, even if it's only temporary.

But this is not his alpha, and he’s got to have some semblance of responsibility here. Heats end.

Mr. Kim has trotted off to the bathroom to dispose of the rubber, pee, and returned before Kyungsoo could even finish his reverie. He's swept onto the alpha’s chest as Mr. Kim splays out over the mattress again, a hand across his forehead, his eyes shut.

“What time is it?” Kyungsoo asks.

Mr. Kim makes an incoherent noise. “Knotbot sleepy,” he grumbles in a terrible robot affectation, his other hand dropping from Kyungsoo's shoulder to glide down his back and settle rather purposefully into the crack of his ass.

Kyungsoo snorts even as he blushes, allowing himself ten more seconds of cuddling before pushing up to sitting. He doesn't know how Mr. Kim discovered the nickname, but the time for embarrassment has long since expired, so all he can do now is roll with it. 

_ Mr. Kim.  _ Can he even get away with calling him something so formal? He's fucked him twice now. “Jongin” just doesn't feel right though. That's way too intimate.

“Does Knotbot need to refuel?” he asks, hopping over Mr. Kim to climb off the bed.

Mr. Kim grunts something and grabs his leg, pulling him closer. “I need recharging. The cleaning crew isn't even here yet,” he slurs out, a corner of his lip smushed into the pillow and slurring his words. “Come snuggle me. You can be my jetpack.”

He is looking around the floor and trying to find his clothes when the words “cleaning crew" process. They fucked on the balcony last night. His clothes — just his shirt, really — is still up there  _ along with the dampener. _ Mr. Kim might have been wrapped last night, but for all Kyungsoo knows, he’s left dried and gross cum stains all over the expensive furniture. Those poor ladies will skin him alive.

“Shit-shit-shit,” he curses, looking around frantically before barging past Mr. Kim's bathroom, into his walk-in closet and digging out the first t-shirt and shorts he can find. He hears Mr. Kim muttering something as he breezes by, but he can make out a bit of morning glow around the perimeter of the window blinds, which means they're either already here or about to be.

Taking the steps two at a time, Kyungsoo scrambles lightning fast, albeit not so gracefully, scooping up his wrinkled Ravenclaw shirt and using it to wipe down the chair. He can’t see anything, but he’s paranoid as hell. The small table next to it holds a pair of round-framed glasses, a heavy textbook titled “Legal Environment of Business: Commerce, Ethics, and Global Issues (8th Edition),” and a DeLuxe Avocado XL condom wrapper. He snatches the wrapper and paces around, trying to pick out the white dampener from the grays of the shadows.

He locates it and nearly sends it flying off the side of the balcony after a poorly aimed reach sends it skittering across the concrete floor. Kyungsoo hurriedly bundles his shirt around it, eyes darting around nervously to see if anyone caught him. The coast is still clear. He heaves a sigh of relief as he jogs down the stairs, an extra spring in his step as he heads toward his room. All he needs is a shower, and he'll be all ready to get the damn day started. This is actually going quite well. This was a great idea.

Sehun stands before his door, a hand poised to knock. He stares, jaw hanging open, at Kyungsoo.

Oh, fudge.

As if the oversized clothes hanging off of Kyungsoo's small frame, or his walk-of-shame bundle isn't enough of a clue, Sehun's nostrils flare as he inhales the unmistakable scent of claiming pheromones of a rutting alpha, eyes lingering on Kyungsoo's neck as his frown grows.

“Oh,” Sehun coughs, taking a step back and dropping his gaze.

It's shitty, but he doesn't owe the alpha anything. Being in close proximity to each other and being willing doesn't make him entitled to squat. But Kyungsoo still feels a little guilty, knowing how eager Sehun has been to get in his good graces the past month or so.

“Um. Good morning,” he grunts, at a complete loss for what to say.

“I was gonna see…” Sehun trails off, tongue peeking out between his teeth, trying to avoid looking directly at Kyungsoo’s face. “Uh. Good morning.”

He dashes off after. It’s a sad attempt to save face. Kyungsoo doesn’t try to stop him. He feels bad now, but weighing his options, he figures he’ll make Sehun a tasty lunch after his heat is over. This is why it's hard to make friends with alphas. But he’s a sweet boy. Maybe they can be friends.

His room smells so foreign at first whiff. He slowly realizes that it’s due to lacking a certain alpha’s scent, and rolls his eyes at himself. Not even half a day of heat-addled sex, and his wires are already crossing.

Going to the sink to rinse the dampener off, he drops it into the basin, mindless of the loud clatter as he gapes at his reflection. Quickly, he rips the shirt off, twisting to one side and the other. His whole body is covered in bright purple and red hickies. They extend all the way up underneath his jaw and all the way down his chest. Somehow, there are even a couple spotting down his lower back. His nipples are red and swollen, and just looking at them makes them sore. A whine leaves his mouth as he leans in, tilting his head to the side to examine the shitty claim marks Mr. Kim left this morning. It’ll fade within the next few days, but this  _ asshole _ .

Why does he even bother with clothes when everything about him broadcasts “KIM JONGIN’S FUCK TOY, STEP BACK.” Kyungsoo snarls and jumps in the shower anyway, scrubbing every inch of his skin, and only partially regretting losing the alpha’s scent.

Slipping into his work clothes makes him feel a little better. A little more in control of himself. Dampener snugly in place, meds taken, he squares up in front of his reflection again, buttoning his dress shirt all the way to the top, and smoothing out the navy blue apron. The claim marks and a couple of the love bites are still visible, but as tempted as he is to cover them up, he's honest enough with himself to know that likely in a couple of hours, new ones are going to be left on his skin anyway. 

The cleaning crew don't seem upset with him as they pass each other in the hallway. Normally, he serves breakfast a little earlier than this, but he's only half an hour or so behind schedule. The lamb is on schedule to be all ready by lunchtime. Mr. Kim's door is shut like always, and Kyungsoo glares at it for a moment before throwing the refrigerator doors open to ponder what concoction to make. He settles on a nice block of tofu, heating up a pot for a quick stew and pulling out more vegetables to steam as an easy side. More simple than his typical fare, but it sounds delicious, and there's a 50% chance the alpha will sleep through it anyway.

He doesn't get a chance to knock. Just as he's ready to drop his fist to the wood, Mr. Kim grunts from within and shouts, “Just come in.”

Somehow, he hadn't thought to prepare himself for this. Mr. Kim is, of course, still naked and sprawled out on the bed, reeking of sex. The sheets tangle uselessly around one of his legs, and while he was soft at first, Kyungsoo's presence causes his cock to stir, slowly filling as Kyungsoo approaches.

He might be a little affected.

Mr. Kim slumps onto his side with a lazy moan. “Feed me,” he whines, pawing the air.

“Here.” Kyungsoo sets the tray down on the nightstand and chances another glance downward. Half mast. God, that shouldn't look so good. He doesn't _need_ it right now. But why should he ration dick? It's not like it's going to run out.

Mr. Kim inhales, pauses, and opens his eyes to take a deeper breath. He frowns at Kyungsoo. “Why are you using that thing?”

“What thing?”

“The thing fucking with your smell,” Mr. Kim explains, scratching at his side. “You don't need it.”

The dampener, he realizes. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow haughtily, “I do.”

“You wouldn't if you let me come in you.”

He snorts. Alphas and their need to mark everything. “Don't be such a cliche.” Peeking again, he's reminded of earlier. “Oh! And what the hell! I look like you beat the crap out of me. Have you ever heard of trying to be discreet?”

Mr. Kim wrenches one eye open to look at him. He smirks sleepily. “No one would look at these marks and think that I beat you.”

“You know most people at least ask before biting?”

The alpha sits up and scratches at his belly, letting loose a wide, jaw-unhinging yawn as he scrubs at the sleep in his eyes. “It looks hot on you,” he says simply, completely unapologetic. He pats his bare lap, “Take that thing out. Come here.”

He almost complies. Instead, Kyungsoo clears his throat and nudges the tray minutely closer. “Eat.”

“Come ride me, baby,” Mr. Kim starts jerking himself off slowly. “And then we can eat together.” Whatever he sees looking into Kyungsoo's face only gives him more confidence. He smiles, “You don't have anything until lunch, and you know you want to.”

“Have you ever been knotted, Mr. Kim?” Kyungsoo asks. “You can get sore pretty easily.”

“Are you sore?”

“Not yet, and I'd rather not be.”

Mr. Kim manages to catch the edge of Kyungsoo’s apron with his fingertips and tugs him closer, lifting him up with ease and groping Kyungsoo’s ass through his pants as he slides into the alpha’s lap. “So no knot,” he says solemnly, before stuffing his hand down the back of Kyungsoo’s pants and immediately trying to yank the dampener out. “Just a little playtime.”

“Yah!”

His other hand deftly undoes Kyungsoo’s pants and starts unbuttoning his shirt from the bottom up. The alpha lets out a happy victory cry as the dampener slips out despite the small amount of space in the fabric, and a second later, Kyungsoo sees it fly through the air to land perfectly in the small wastebasket on the other side of the room.

He’s glaring at an unrepentant alpha, but he glares nonetheless. “That was prescription medication.”

Mr. Kim ducks his head underneath the apron and inhales Kyungsoo’s cock in one smooth motion. The open zipper prevents him from being able to do anything remarkable, but between his mouth and his roaming hands, Kyungsoo has enough trouble staying upright. He sheds the apron with some difficulty, and allows his open shirt to fall, grunting as the air is knocked out of him from being tossed onto the mattress. His pants get yanked off and he is folded in half as Mr. Kim slides downward, face level with his groin.

Cool air is blown against his rim. Kyungsoo gasps and spreads his legs wider, holding them as close to his chest as he can manage. He hears a chuckle, followed by more teasing touches, more cool air, before Mr. Kim hums a quiet moan to himself and nuzzles into the patch of dense hair in his crotch, inhaling deeply and slowly tracing the tip of his nose up the shaft and lapping hungrily at the precum gathering at the head.

“So,” Mr. Kim starts, voice muffled a bit as he drags his lips up the side of Kyungsoo’s cock, still sniffing incessantly, “what if… I take care of your problem here, and… you let me come on your face at least.”

His reflex is to protest, but Mr. Kim blows another gust of air between his legs and traces a finger around Kyungsoo’s rim, and he lets out a ragged sigh. “Yeah,” Kyungsoo mutters, readjusting to a more comfortable position. “Okay.”

“Yeah?”

Kyungsoo gives him a look. “Do you want me to sign a contract or something?”

There's a smirk on Mr. Kim's lips right before he drags his tongue back up the underside of Kyungsoo's cock, swirling it around the tip and sucking it down. His head bobs in short, sloppy strokes as his fingers trace over Kyungsoo's balls, scratching lightly over his perineum, and then pushing into his hole without any hesitation. His other hand snakes up Kyungsoo's chest to twist and pinch at a nipple, insistent even when Kyungsoo whines, although the intensity lessens.

This is surreal, locking eyes with Mr. Kim Jongin as he smirks around a mouthful of cock. He couldn't have even imagined this sight yesterday, even amidst all the flirting.

At first, Mr. Kim's fingers are quite dexterous, immediately locating and stroking at a spot that causes Kyungsoo's thighs to tremble. But not even a minute later, his mouth stops moving and Kyungsoo looks down to see all of his attention fixated on Kyungsoo's ass, adding another finger and pressing in until he feels knuckles.

“Are”—Kyungsoo nudges his shoulder with a foot once he feels a pinky trying to merge in—”are you trying to fist me?”

Mr. Kim actually has the decency to look bashful. “I'm… halfway there?” he simpers. He wiggles his fingers. “Technically, over halfway…” 

Kyungsoo sighs and kicks at his shoulder this time, wiggling up the bed. “Ahh. Out,” he orders. “You don't just try to sneak in a fisting, like I wouldn't notice.”

The fingers slip out, and the pout is back in full force. “Aww, c'mon, Soo…” Mr. Kim bats his lashes, lewdly licking the slick off his fingertips. “I've never done it to anybody before.”

Kyungsoo gawks at him. “And… I've… never been fisted? Maybe pop that cherry with a veteran?”

Mr. Kim mumbles something about stretchy and shoots him another coquettish grin. “But you'd look so cute with my f— _ ow! _ ”

Kyungsoo slides off the bed, frowning as he picks up his pants, now rolled inside out with his underwear flipped on the outside. He tries to unravel the mess as Mr. Kim reaches for him, and sidesteps, shaking his head and biting back an amused smile. “I’m gonna go get groceries.”

“Come back to bed…”

“Eat.”

“Come here,” Mr. Kim crawls toward him, teeth on display and leering. “I’ll eat.”

Kyungsoo snorts, hopping around as he pulls his underwear on, tucking his erection away and trying to ignore the dampness clinging to his thighs. He gets caught and too easily lifted back into the mattress, pinned down as the alpha laces their fingers together and hovers above him with a triumphant smirk.

“Fine, no fist—”

“No  _ nothing _ ,” Kyungsoo corrects, putting his best serious face on. “I’m gonna go get groceries and deal with your lunch. I’ll be back and see if you’ve learned manners since then.”

Mr. Kim pretends to look wounded. “Ouch. Is that any way to talk to your alpha?”

“Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo matches his expression with his own dramatic, sorrowful look. “ _ Please _ , I just want to serve my alpha and do my job.”

The sentence sends Mr. Kim into a giggling fit against Kyungsoo’s chest, which leaves him prone, and Kyungsoo effortlessly flips him and takes off, snickering to himself at the protests as he leaves the room, pulling his shirt back on and buttoning it up again.

It’s too easy to get carried away. It’s too fun, between the flirting and the sex, even - or especially - with the childish, bratty bits. Kyungsoo catches the stupid smile in his reflection as he stops in his room to grab his wallet and keys, biting his lips to hide the giddiness. 

“I wanna go,” Mr. Kim announces, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Kyungsoo opens the door to leave. He’s dressed, complete with a floppy, black bucket hat, black tee, dark blue sweatpants, and sandals. In his left hand is a paper mask. How does he still manage to look hot in this disheveled, lost tourist look.

“I’m literally just going to Dongdaemun Market.”

Mr. Kim’s eyes widen and he leans in for emphasis. “I’m  _ definitely _ going then.”

“Why, do you need to go shopping that badly?” 

“No, because you’re in heat,” Mr. Kim explains, pushing the door back and stepping to the side to allow him to exit, as if the matter of his company is settled. “And there are a lot of dicks at Dongdaemun.”

Kyungsoo folds his arms in front of him. “So you’re jealous, or…”

Mr. Kim frowns. “‘Dicks’ as in jerks,” he taps his foot impatiently, holding a hand out when he sees Kyungsoo isn’t moving.

“That’s what my dampener was for, until somebody decided to trash it. Now I have to go pick up another one.”

“All that does is mess with your smell. It just makes you stand out more, because instead of just smelling fucking  _ mouthwatering _ , it’s mouthwatering with a weird aftertaste. It’s gross, and you don’t deserve it.”

Kyungsoo points an index finger back at his own face. “ _ I don’t? _ Me?”

Mr. Kim’s practically hopping by this point, tugging Kyungsoo slowly toward him and easing the door shut, looking rather proud of himself.

“Shit,” Kyungsoo hisses.

“What?”

He looks up at the alpha. “You know if you leave, you have to bring S— Bodyguard Oh with you, right?”

The right response would be some form of embarrassment. Instead, Mr. Kim’s eyes sparkle as he grins. “Oh yeah!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNBETAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAED because this happened like....really quickly. Uh. So I got drunk last night, and knocked out 2k on my PHONE, in BED. And then today, kept adding bits and pieces, and suddenly, it's at 4k and I had to stop it before it grew into even bigger of a beast than it is. I'm sorry if it's like...cheesy. Like I said, half of it was drunk, half was just...random. To me, it's rather cute? And don't worry, Sehun's going to be ok in this fic. I'm still updating GG and the other fics, this one just kind of came out of nowhere. Did you like it? Did it surprise you? Let me know, and come talk with me on Twitter or something. I'm [here](https://twitter.com/filet_jignon) and I have a [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/filet_jignon) if you're shy. <3


	7. Chapter 7

_The bootiest butt_

_I would like it on my face_

_Bad haiku, sorry_

 

_xoxo, Jongin_

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Kyungsoo asks slowly, his voice impassive as he folds the card back up.

Mr. Kim holds the flowers out again, smile not waning in the slightest.

He knows what this is. It’s double the size of Sehun’s. This is hardly for him. This is alpha flexing.

“I don't want this. Are _you_ gonna carry it around the market?”

“For you, anything.”

Kyungsoo sneers. “Gag,” he mimes Mr. Kim’s reaction to Sehun’s note yesterday, rolling his eyes and looking away when the alpha only beams brighter. Incorrigible.

What was he thinking, allowing a rutting alpha to tag along, accompanied by an unmated one. Mr. Kim has yet to reach snarling, fighting, passive aggressive frotting levels of mindless alpha bullshit, but he was pretty well-perched on the handsy, catty, possessive tier, despite being forced to sit in the backseat by himself on the drive to Dongdaemun market.

“Are you sure you should be out right now?” Mr. Kim repeats, any excuse to huddle closer. “In your condition?”

“Nobody gets sick being outdoors while in heat,” Kyungsoo growls.

“I've heard that too though,” Sehun chimes in, casting another cautious look at him.

“There are literally zero omegas in your families, and that is superstitious nonsense,” Kyungsoo counters.

“Here,” Mr. Kim holds a water bottle out for him. “You need to hydrate at least.”

Kyungsoo entertains him by taking a small sip, only to roll his eyes when the alpha takes another sip out of the bottle, smiling afterward. Alphas.

At least Sehun seemed to be handling this better than he was earlier. The ride was stuffy and awkward, but after he managed to sneak in a quick, sullen, “So… are you two a thing now,” he's been increasingly satisfied with Kyungsoo's responses as he watches their interactions.

Kyungsoo had answered with a noncommittal hum and pretended to study some figs. He could've answered honestly, he supposed. No, this is just a fun heat. But he remembered yesterday's dinner before he left for his room, after Sehun deliberately smeared sweat onto his arm, and Mr. Kim barreling over his chair to storm the distance between them, teeth bared and snarling. Telling him the truth might invite more attempts at courtship, and really, he's just not interested in that. Not romantically, anyway.

Mr. Kim's fingers sneak under the hem of his shirt as he steps behind Kyungsoo, rubbing into the strip of skin above his waistband. Soft scenting. Not very subtle, but not an outright pissing. He pulls Kyungsoo close, playing with the dip in his waist, digging his fingertips in a rolling wave motion. He lets out a soft sigh, his hot breath warming the top of Kyungsoo's scalp. It feels nice.

“Stop panting on me,” Kyungsoo reprimands. “We're in public.”

Mr. Kim leans to the side and licks at the shell of his ear, bouncing right back when Kyungsoo half-heartedly pushes him.

He catches a glimpse of his own reflection as they pass one of the stalls. No wonder he's been getting more looks. Heat alone already freshens him up, but couple that with a few rounds of satisfying knotting sex, and he's practically photoshoot ready. Not that Mr. Kim needs more excuses to be clingy and possessive, but Kyungsoo is practically broadcasting sex, cheeks flushed, lips and lashes full, skin clear and radiant. He's attracting a significant amount of attention. At least the alpha hasn't resorted to dry humping him.

“You're so pretty,” Mr. Kim purrs, nuzzling into his hair again.

“Am I?”

“I want to bend you over this table,” the alpha growls under his breath, pressing his hips forward minutely. “Fill you up with my cock in front of all of these people. They keep looking at you. Let's give them something to look at.”

“Let's not,” Sehun chimes in, stepping closer. Wolf. Enhanced senses. Right. “Can you overcompensate at home? If you get in trouble, it's my ass.”

The two of them joining forces to occasionally poke fun at Mr. Kim seems to have emboldened the other alpha. Kyungsoo purses his lips, letting the embarrassment wash over him and ebb off. He clears his throat, stepping away only to be held firmly in place. As much as he enjoyed playing out that scene in his head, he has no desire to have a bunch of strangers witness him trying to satisfy his heat and explain things to the cops later. He pushes Mr. Kim's hands off, twists around to give him a stern look, and walks to the next stall. The quicker they get out of here, the better.

“Envy is a bad look on you,” he hears Mr. Kim quip petulantly.

“Jealousy doesn't look nearly as good on _you_ as you think it does,” Sehun counters.

“Hm, you know who _does_ look good on me though?”

Kyungsoo picks up the pace, walking out of earshot before they can devolve further. It's way easier to find everything he needs without the two of them, and he only gets hit on twice before ending up at a stall to admire a lady chopping up sea cucumbers. Her knife skills were remarkably efficient, and he watches for several minutes in awe.

He slowly realizes his breathing has grown labored, and that he has been repeatedly wiping sweat from his brow and billowing his shirt. His heat… They had only fooled around the last time, since Mr. Kim decided to go off-script. The bastard…

Maybe he should give Sehun a whirl. Just to spite him. Briefly, Kyungsoo considers this, only to immediately deflate the idea. Maybe some other alpha, if he's really determined to make Mr. Kim suffer. Sehun's just started being cool. He has no desire to invite more of the pushy attitude.

A hand wraps around his, and pulls him to the side. A moment later, he's pressed into a firm, warm chest as Mr. Kim nuzzles into his hair and continues walking them backward.

“Oh, done fighting already?” He’s mildly feverish and feeling sour. Niceties are for those who have manners.

“He was being a punk to me,” Mr. Kim whines back, his fingers sticking to Kyungsoo's damp skin and digging in lightly. His touch sizzles.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, stepping back, but allowing Mr. Kim to pull him along. No bodyguard in sight. “Whatever. Where is he? We need to… get back. _Quickly_.”

“I know,” Mr. Kim whispers, and suddenly they're in some little alcove, behind the stalls. It must be a little break area, but it's empty now, except for the two of them. How did he even find this place…

Turning back to the alpha in confusion, Kyungsoo finds him holding a foil packet with the fingertips of both hands, holding it above his nose and smiling cheekily.

“You're kidding.”

Mr. Kim's eyes curve into happy crescents, too pleased with himself. “Just hear me out,” he rushes. “It'll take half an hour to get back. With him in the car too. You come so fast… We could knock this out in a couple of minutes, tops. I don't even need to come right now. We can just pick up when we get back home.”

Kyungsoo turns to look pointedly down the narrow passage they came from, lined with gurgling fish tanks full of sea animals. They can see people walking by, mere meters away  Although he supposes the angle of the walls and the lack of bright decor left this space fairly invisible. Mr. Kim’s goofy, hopeful smile holds as he waggles his eyebrows.

“Where's your bodyguard, Mr. Kim?” Kyungsoo asks icily.

“Still looking for us?” the alpha licks his lips, twirling the condom wrapper across his knuckles and holding it out for Kyungsoo. Neat trick. “I circled around the other end and doubled back. We're good.”

“You just want him to smell you on me on the ride back,” Kyungsoo accuses, taking the small packet.

“No,” Mr. Kim shakes his head, “I just really want to fuck you.”

It sounds surprisingly sincere. He examines the foil, thumbing the avocado logo on it before sighing and ripping the perforation, “Let's make this quick.”

“You’re the best.” Mr. Kim’s mood changes in an instant. His sweatpants are tugged down, and he quickly rolls the condom on before helping Kyungsoo undo his pants to mid thigh. With a quiet grunt, he lifts the omega up and braces him against a wall, one leg propped on the crook of each arm. His dick slips a few times as he tries to position it in between Kyungsoo's cheeks, seeking and prodding.

“Oh!” Kyungsoo gasps as the alpha slides home, pushing in easily. He's so wet. Holy crap, he needed this.

“Shhh,” Mr. Kim covers his mouth with a warm palm as he grits his teeth, pressing and pressing, easing the swelling knot into place. He's barely started moving his hips when Kyungsoo's eyes roll back and a louder moan slips out. Mr. Kim shushes him again, a wide grin on his face as he muffles further sounds from escaping.

He wasn't wrong. Kyungsoo can sense the wave rushing in already. He can barely keep his eyes open, letting the heavy weight shift inside him, and basking in the sensations it leaves behind. He can feel the relief rising. It's coming…

His voice is muffled, and he has to paw at the alpha’s hand to push it off. “Mist—” A gasp eats away at his coherency, and the building orgasm renders him temporarily incapable of saying anything other than vowels. “I… _ohh_ … _Jongin_!” he hisses, fingers digging into the alpha’s biceps in alarm. “I- I can't come yet—”

“Mm, doesn’t feel like it, baby,” Mr. Kim licks his neck. “Say my name again.”

“ _Dammit!_ ” He yanks on a handful of Mr. Kim’s hair to pull his face closer, dodging when the alpha tries to line their lips up. He snarls, tugging until Mr. Kim finally looks at him, “If I come, we’re gonna be stuck together here!”

Just as realization dawns on the alpha, a pair of voices gets increasingly clearer as they approach the room. Kyungsoo freezes, not even breathing, as he stares at the alpha, wide-eyed in horror. The two are debating, arguing over movie times. Mr. Kim tilts his head slightly, just enough to see them from where he’s standing, while Kyungsoo stays blind against the wall.

Carefully, Mr. Kim pulls back, patiently withdrawing while Kyungsoo’s body tries its best to hold onto the knot. It finally releases, and he exhales in relief, still watching the men in the corridor. Kyungsoo kicks his feet in the air, wiggling around to be set down, when Mr. Kim pushes forward again, purposefully. His hand covers Kyungsoo’s mouth just as the knot sinks back into place, causing his body to jolt and a surprised moan to, luckily, be hushed.

“What are you doing?” Kyungsoo hisses under his breath. He can still hear the men talking.

Mr. Kim gives him a soft peck on the nose and smirks as he slowly repeats the thrust, the slick squelching between them. The knot is still forming, allowing for this level of fuckery. Dammit. “They’re not coming.”

“I can _hear them!_ ”

“Yeah, but they’re not coming,” Mr. Kim explains, eyes locked on where they’re joined, watching as Kyungsoo’s body greedily sucks the bulb back in. He peppers kisses over Kyungsoo’s brows, licking at the sweat gathering along the hairline.

“Mr. _Kim_ —”

“No, you’ve said my name. You broke the seal. It’s Jongin-hyung from now on, babe.”

“M—” He’s dangerously close now. Kyungsoo pushes at the alpha’s abdomen after he’s pulled back. “ _Jongin_ ,” he whimpers out in a panicked whisper, “I- I’m gonna come.”

Mr. Kim grinds in deep one last time, making him see stars and shuddering as he gently tugs the knot back out before it gets too big to comfortably remove, resting it heavily against Kyungsoo's rim. “Better?” he pants into Kyungsoo's ear.

The men are sloshing around in the tanks, laughing at each other. Their chatter drowns out the ragged moan that slips out of Kyungsoo's mouth as Mr. Kim starts moving again, rebalancing them so he can wrap a hand around Kyungsoo's leaking cock, stroking it loosely. He can't keep fully quiet, despite covering his mouth with both of his hands. Feeling the knot bump up against him with each thrust is maddening. It's pleasurable, but his body _needs it_ to be inside him.

“Come on, baby,” Mr. Kim whispers encouragingly, nipping at his earlobe again. “Come for me.”

His body seizes up and obeys, gripping the hard length inside him and spasming as all of his nerve endings fire off. Kyungsoo has no idea how he managed to not alert the entire market of their coupling until the fireworks finally cease and he pulls away from a wet collarbone. Mr. Kim had muffled him against his shirt, leaving a dark spot behind. His hand lifts off of Kyungsoo's twitching, sensitive cock, keeping it cupped to prevent anything from dripping.

“Oww,” Mr. Kim whines as he pulls out, the head snagging a bit from Kyungsoo’s body locking up to trap the knot inside. He lowers him onto shaky legs and peels the condom off, examining the tip for signs of damage while licking at the cum in his other hand.

Wiping the sweat off of his face and grimacing at his overall damp state, Kyungsoo pulls his pants back up, leaning against the wall to try and catch his breath.

Mr. Kim's eyes focus down the corridor again, narrowing with suspicion.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo whispers. He yanks the waistband of Mr. Kim's pants back up and fumbles with his own zipper, fine motor skills still not quite functional yet. But worst case, if they get caught, they're both fully covered. There's no proof of anything, ...other than Mr. Kim still happily lapping at his cum-covered hand. He inhales, steels his nerves, and takes a peek around the corner.

Sehun is marching straight at them, nostrils flared, face dark. He's not amused. The men have vanished. It's a clear path between them.

Mr. Kim tenses, and Kyungsoo readies himself for the pissing contest to continue.

Instead, Mr. Kim leans closer, gripping the wall by Kyungsoo's head, effectively shielding the omega. A growl builds in his chest.

Sehun is almost to them. “Do you care at all what could've—”

A much more menacing growl leaves Mr. Kim's mouth. His lip curls up, an elongated canine gleams as he glares at Sehun. His eyes are glowing a deep, bloody red. The air changes, taking on a bitter note as territorial alpha pheromones fill the small space.

The other alpha coughs, stepping back and away from the warning cloud.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo whispers, tilting Mr. Kim's face toward him. He looks a little dazed. “How about you don't fight your bodyguard at the marketplace?”

The alpha’s cock digs into his thigh. They're both covered up, but the erection hasn't waned in the slightest. Dealing with a rutting alpha is normally pretty simple: just… enjoy the ride. But possessive alpha in a public space currently dealing with blue balls…

“Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo tries again, stroking his cheek.

Mr. Kim's eyes soften, and he leans forward to nuzzle Kyungsoo's nose with his own. “Jongin,” he insists.

He sighs, “Let's get back without any drama, and I'll call you whatever you want.”

His mischievous grin reveals his canines have shrunken back to their normal state. “Daddy.”

“...No...”

Sehun prompts them again. Mr. Kim shakes his head, clearing away any residual aggression, and grabs Kyungsoo's hand. He leads them out, keeping himself in the middle of the trio as they navigate through the market.

Surprisingly, Mr. Kim doesn't try to bicker when Sehun berates him for splitting the group up earlier. Kyungsoo sits with him in the backseat on the ride home, and the alpha merely stews in silence, stroking the back of Kyungsoo's hand and tuning his bodyguard out. He'll occasionally bring Kyungsoo's hand up to his face and nuzzle it, making a happy little hum as he sniffs. It's kind of precious, and almost makes up for his bratty behavior earlier. _Almost._

Everything goes rather smoothly until Kyungsoo beelines for the kitchen. He is putting the groceries away when he turns to find a distraught Mr. Kim looming over him. The alpha still hadn't come yet, of course. He hadn't forgotten. But it's fun to see how long he can drag this out.

“Shoo, I'm getting your lunch.”

Mr. Kim reaches forward and unzips Kyungsoo's fly, pouting heavily afterward.

Kyungsoo sighs, looking down at the scene of the crime and back up at the offender. The pout turns into a challenging smirk. Kyungsoo holds out a fist, gradually uncurling first his thumb, and then his index, his middle finger…

The smirk holds to the third count before the alpha hurriedly does his zipper back up. But just as Kyungsoo gives a triumphant smile, he feels the alpha deftly pop open his pants button.

“You flirt like a third grader,” Kyungsoo snaps, swatting at him and trying and failing to hide his grin.

The zipper is yanked down again, and he is dropped onto the countertop, whatever contents that were there shoved aside hastily. Mr. Kim guides him onto his back and rips the pants off, tossing them clear across the other side of the room.

He steadies himself, holding his breath in anticipation of being filled up, only Mr. Kim drops down, and something wet slithers over his balls, down his perineum, and then laps rapidly over his rim. Kyungsoo gasps just as Mr. Kim's tongue darts in, swirling and thrusting quickly. The alpha’s groan vibrates against his hole, spreading goosebumps across his skin.

Mr. Kim straightens up, lifting Kyungsoo's rear off the counter so they never break contact. He kneads into Kyungsoo's cheeks, moaning as more slick is produced from his ministrations.

He wasn't expecting this. Mr. Kim's tongue is more talented than he would've thought. It feels amazing, and the alpha’s stream of groans only add to the sensations, but he's still _empty_. “Hurry,” Kyungsoo whines, tugging the alpha’s hair to direct him upward.

His answer is a snarl and a hand pins his wrist to the counter. Mr. Kim's tongue speeds up, spearing into his hole and licking away the slick that pumps out, as if this is the best thing he's ever tasted.

“Mr. Kim,” he gasps, every nerve ending tingling. The granite is unforgiving though, and as good as this feels, it's not enough. He tries again, “M-Mr. Kim! ... _Jongin!_ ”

Pitch black eyes rimmed with an eerie red glow look up at him between his legs. A string of slick trails between Mr. Kim's hanging tongue and his ass.

Kyungsoo gulps at the sight. “Alpha…” he whispers, preening as Mr. Kim’s gaze grows hungrier. “Alpha, come fuck me.”

Robotically, Mr. Kim releases his wrist and takes a tiny step back, undressing himself fully.

“Hurry,” Kyungsoo whispers again, pulling his knees back as far as he can, holding himself open and ready.

Mr. Kim leans down, dragging wet stripes up Kyungsoo's shaft. He pushes the omega’s legs wider, moaning to himself again as he sucks on the head.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo urges, tugging on his hair again. “ _Please._ ”

“Mine,” Mr. Kim declares once he pulls off and plants a soft kiss on a vein along the shaft. He dips down, licking Kyungsoo's hole, and repeating the claim, “ _Mine_.”

Possessive, rutting alpha. Kyungsoo shivers and swells at the words, whimpering when he is slid down so his ass hangs off the counter and finally feels something firm pressing in. Mr. Kim is rock hard. It's like hot, velvet wrapped steel, opening him up deliciously. A quick glimpse down at where they're joined shows his knot is fully swollen as well, possibly hasn't softened since their market fuck. Kyungsoo reaches down and squeezes it, biting his lip as the alpha groans and pushes it against him more insistently.

Whether the alpha knows that this will be a difficult fit doesn't seem to bother him at the moment. He drives into Kyungsoo with slow, powerful thrusts, hiking his shirt up to lick and suck at his nipples, refreshing his marks as Kyungsoo keens underneath him. He pauses, looking down and smearing the slick to make sure his knot is evenly coated, and presses forth.

There's so much pressure. The alpha leans down, suckling briefly on his neck, and Kyungsoo turns his head to the side, baring himself for better access. He gasps as Mr. Kim’s mouth clamps down on his neck with another growl, teeth pinching, bruising, but not enough to pierce the skin. It sends a rush through his body. He's drunk on this mating. Kyungsoo cries out and lurches forward to wrap his arms around Mr. Kim's shoulders as the knot finally sinks into place.

Mr. Kim is so hard, he can feel every detail of the alpha’s cock as it moves inside him. The alpha doesn't go for any impressive moves. He's too far gone for that. He lifts Kyungsoo off the counter, and uses it to grind his knot in deep and desperately, groaning nonstop as he marks up Kyungsoo's neck even further.

The alpha comes, and watching Mr. Kim not just ride the wave, but actually get swept up under it sends Kyungsoo over the edge as well, babbling as he feels tears squeeze out past his lashes as he feels his release splatter across his chest and stomach, mewling as warmth fills him. He is still panting, weakly clinging to Mr. Kim, when the alpha finally releases his bite, sniffing at the wound.

Slowly, as Mr. Kim deposits him back onto the countertop and is lapping at his latest mark, when it dawns on him the extent of what just happened. Kyungsoo swats the alpha’s hand away when he tries to scoop up the sticky white mess on their skin, and glares at him.

“Condom,” Kyungsoo snaps breathily. Judging by the dazed look still plastered on Mr. Kim's face, he has better odds of communicating if he keeps the words simple.

The alpha sluggishly looks down at where they're joined. He's breathing heavily, through his mouth, his lips dry. His eyes flutter shut, and he moans softly as his cock continues to pulse and empty in Kyungsoo. “Huh?” he manages, wiping at his eyes when a bead of sweat drips into it.

“You didn't use a condom,” Kyungsoo spells out.

“I didn't… use…” Mr. Kim repeats slowly, trailing off as he looks over Kyungsoo's body again. “M’sorry.”

Kyungsoo sighs as, less than a minute later, the alpha goes back to collecting his cum and sucking them off of his fingers. It’s not entirely on Mr. Kim, with Kyungsoo encouraging the scentplay, the rutting. It felt a thousand times better without the offensive material between them, and he's riding a much stronger orgasmic high, any heat symptoms burned away for at least several more hours, but now Mr. Kim will only be more obnoxious with his territorial alpha urges. He's weak for this shit, but it only blurs the boundaries even more. There's maybe only another day or so of his heat left. The marks alone will take three or four. The alpha’s scent if they keep going without protection… Possibly weeks.

The thought of wearing Mr. Kim’s scent after his heat sounds too good right now. Kyungsoo swats at the alpha’s forehead, chuckling at the predictable pout that forms after.

“Are you sore?” Mr. Kim asks, concern in his eyes as he rubs Kyungsoo's sides.

“Not yet.”

The alpha blows out a gust of air. “You feel so good…”

Kyungsoo bops him again. “You're supposed to pretend to be remorseful right now.”

“I don't- I didn't mean to,” Mr. Kim says, his eyes shining. His lips shape each syllable into a tiny pout, and Kyungsoo coos internally before plastering a scowl back on. “I really didn't.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo says, gentler this time. His neck itches, and he remembers, hitting the alpha’s forehead again. “ _And_ you keep marking me! What if I bite you, huh?”

“Then I'd… eat really well for the rest of my life?” Mr. Kim offers impishly, wincing but not trying to move away when Kyungsoo swats him again.

“As if you'd let something like a claiming tie you down, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo scoffs in disbelief.

“You said you'd call me Jongin from now on,” chides the alpha, after a moment of looking wounded.

“I did no such thing.”

“You are plugged up with my cum right now,” Mr. Kim beams proudly, “I don't think we should speak so formally anymore.”

“I'm about to go make your lunch. Because I work for you.”

Mr. Kim shakes his head, and bites at Kyungsoo's fingers when he goes to hit. “Nope,” he declares. “You called me Jongin. You're stuck with that now.”

“Or what, Mr. Kim?”

The alpha pulls back slightly. He succeeds, his cock slipping out, and he hurriedly lifts Kyungsoo's ass up, pushing the cum back in as some of it tries to dribble down his thighs, plugging Kyungsoo's hole up. “Or next time I eat you out, I'll make you beg until you address me properly,” he whispers, wiggling the fingers inside. “I'm gonna make you scream my name next time I knot you. So you remember.”

He can't resist. “Good luck,” Kyungsoo goads, carefully sliding off the counter. He pushes the fingers out, waddling around grumpily before finally locating his pants on a dining chair.

“You're so pretty,” Mr. Kim says, leaning against the counter as he watches.

Kyungsoo pulls the pants on, biting his lip as his thighs stick, cum soaking into the fabric of his briefs. It feels weirdly satisfying, “So you keep saying. Are you enamored because you can't separate your dick from your feelings, or you just trying to butter me up for fisting experimentation?”

“Neither,” Mr. Kim kicks his clothes along, perfectly content being nude. He walks up, runs his fingers through Kyungsoo's hair, and traces down over the new mark with a proud half-smile.

“Uh huh.” The touch feels nice, so he allows himself a few seconds to bask in the attention before shrugging Mr. Kim's hand away. Kyungsoo jogs off to his room, jumping into the shower to clean himself. For a minute, the small shower steams up and traps Mr. Kim's scent in there with him, but it quickly dissipates, and he misses it once it's gone. But that'd be way too indulgent and messy.

He can still smell the alpha after the shower. It's just more faint now. A cursory glance at his reflection shows all the new claiming marks in sharp relief to his pale skin, and Kyungsoo gets caught up admiring them for a minute before he catches himself and hurries out.

His nose itches as he readies the lunch, but Kyungsoo ignores it as he loads up the braised lamb alongside the roasted squash, reduced port sauce, and prune and onion medley next to the side salad. It turned out a lot more romantic looking than he planned, but it looks damn good, and he puts a little extra flair into plating. He is about to bring it to the dining table when Mr. Kim appears, shirtless once again, and takes them, dragging his usual chair down the table to place next to his.

Kyungsoo accepts the new seating with an amused eyebrow raised, the other brow going up as well, when Mr. Kim cuts into his lamb and holds the bite out for him to take.

“Really?” Kyungsoo asks, holding back a laugh. The offering of the first bite is such an old school wolf courtship thing that the only times it happens these days are in cheesy wolf rom-com dramas. What _Mr. Kim_ means with it is beyond him.

“I need you to test for poison,” Mr. Kim says, serious face collapsing immediately. Pink dusts his cheeks. He'd almost look shy if it was anyone else.

He leans forward and accepts the bite, chewing purposefully and swallowing. One of his best braised lambs actually. Kyungsoo waits a beat, and then pretends to gag, rolling his eyes up and slumping his head onto the table.

Mr. Kim cuts another bite and pops it into his own mouth, petting Kyungsoo's hair with his other hand. “Ahh, tasty…”

Kyungsoo sits up and shoves him playfully, snickering along with the alpha for reasons he doesn't quite understand or bother paying too much attention to.

 

“Let's go dancing,” Mr. Kim suggests as their plates empty.

They've been bullshitting for the past hour. If asked, he doesn't know if he could relay what they even talked about. Kyungsoo snorts, picking up his glass to drink, and frowning when he finds that it is empty. He accepts Mr. Kim's proffered glass, watching the alpha watch him eagerly as he takes the sip. “I don't know how to tell you this,” he smirks, “but none of you rich boys can ever dance.”

Mr. Kim’s lip juts out, “I'm really good!”

“I have no desire to watch you two-step offbeat while we're surrounded by a bunch of smelly people.”

“We can go on the balcony,” Mr. Kim tries to sound enticing, “put on some music…”

A sneeze catches him off guard, but Kyungsoo uses it as a distraction, standing up and gathering the plates. “I think I'm gonna nap,” he announces. “Too many exciting things today.”

“That's a great idea,” Mr. Kim sidles up next to him and tugs him toward his bedroom.

“I meant nap as in sleep.”

The alpha sticks his tongue out. “I have excellent cuddling skills.”

“You overestimate your abilities, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo scrunches up his nose, beaming as the alpha frowns.

“Come on,” Mr. Kim lifts him up and carries him back through the kitchen. “You can be little spoon.”

“If I’m going to be little spoon, you better use a condom when we wake up, or I’m going to break your dick.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was unbeta'd and kind of rushed. I hope it makes sense. It's cute? To me? I had to cut it there, bc it was already at 5k, and omg, it would've hit 10k easily if I didn't rein myself in. Anyway, this wasn't even supposed to be updated, but I love this fic so much. It had two smut full scenes??? How? Why??? But urgh, anyway. Let me know how/if you liked it. I'll update asap. I didn't forget about my other fics, I promise.
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/filet_jignon) | [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/filet_jignon)


	8. Chapter 8

An airy, light kiss on his earlobe is what finally forces Kyungsoo to acquiesce to consciousness. The room is dark, but wolf eyes adjust pretty readily. Not much to see anyway. It's just Mr. Kim's room, roughly an hour later, dimmed by the blackout curtains. The alpha noses at his neck, interlocking their fingers, and snuggling closer. While it feels good, they're also sticking to each other from prolonged contact.

“You're sweating on me,” Kyungsoo's voice is thick from sleep. He clears his throat several times and sniffles.

“You make the best little spoon,” Mr. Kim says, kissing his shoulder and continuing to play with their fingers. “You just… you fit so well.”

A smile quirks at his lips. Kyungsoo arches his body into a deep, long stretch, pleasantly surprised when the alpha leans back and assists. He had expected groping. They were nude, after all.

Mr. Kim's hand returns to his almost immediately afterward. Kyungsoo fumbles at the nightstand, switching the lamp on, and rolling around to find the alpha wearing a neutral, content expression.

“Hi there, pretty thing,” Mr. Kim taps the tip of his nose.

“Hi you back.”

Mr. Kim is doing that thing again, that intense staring that he does at dinner sometimes. Kyungsoo holds their intertwined hands up to the alpha’s face, straightening their fingers so they line up.

“You tried to stuff this in me earlier,” he taps the tips of his fingers against the alpha’s to further point out the difference between their hand sizes.

“And I would've gotten away with it too,” Mr. Kim affects a comically shrill villain voice, “if it weren't for you meddling kids!”

He thinks he's cute. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, fighting another smile and the urge to concur, “You're so weird. I still can't believe you tried it. I don't see the appeal.”

Mr. Kim slips into a serious, somber look. “Knotbot provides a full range of services and offers a diverse array of options for the discerning omega in heat.”

Kyungsoo pushes him away, a giggle finally escaping when he springs right back. “Fisting is not a service. Bad Knotbot.”

Mr. Kim leans in close, whispering conspiratorially, “Not one you've had the  _ pleasure _ of experiencing.”

Kyungsoo snorts and curls his hand into a tight fist. “Not one you have had either, Mr. Kim. Want to give it a go?”

Mr. Kim's eyes widen in horror. Oh yes, his logic backfired.

“My fist is way smaller. It'd be fun.”

“It's not  _ way _ smaller…”

Kyungsoo tries to roll back, only to have Mr. Kim follow suit, lying flush against him once more. “You're awful,” he grins.

“Let me do it,” Mr. Kim whines against his ear.

He ponders the logistics. Really, he's probably taken knots bigger than that during previous heats. The idea of a hand up there is weird, but size-wise, it's probably only a little above average. He's indifferent, all things considered. Not particularly enthusiastic about it though.

“You'll like it…” the alpha continues whispering.

“Did you mean to send me the video?” Kyungsoo asks, craning his head back to meet Mr. Kim's eyes.

“What?”

“Your porno video,” Kyungsoo reminds him. “The one you said was an accident. Was it really an accident?” At Mr. Kim's perplexed expression, he smirks. “Tell me the truth, and I'll let you do it.”

“Th- The fisting?”

“Yeah.”

“...Just like that?” Mr. Kim's eyes narrow with suspicion. 

“It’s not a trick,” he adds quickly. “You just kept dodging whenever I asked. I just want to know.”

After almost a minute of studying him in silence, the alpha licks his lips nervously. “I mean… I  _ was _ talking to Kyuhyun…”

Figures. The backs of his ears prickle irrationally, but it's easy enough to brush aside. He rolls his eyes, lets out an airy chuckle, “I knew—”

“And then I made the video, and was gonna send it to him, and your name came up under his,” Mr. Kim continues, looking away and sucking his lower lip in briefly. “And… I don't know. I wanted to see what you would do.”

Kyungsoo blinks. “...What were you expecting me to do?”

The alpha’s cheeks definitely have a rosy tinge to them. He shrugs a shoulder and busies himself with sliding the sheet down, exposing Kyungsoo's shoulder and tracing over it. “I dunno,” he mumbles. “Send me a pic of your ass? Tell me to come over?”

While Kyungsoo is processing the answer, Mr. Kim sneaks a glance up at his eyes again and pouts before trying to disguise it by kissing at the shoulder, moving down Kyungsoo's chest as the sheets get tugged down further.

“But you ignored me,” he says sulkily. “So… I… jerked off and went to sleep.”

“I wasn't ignoring you.”

“I saw when you saw the message,” Mr. Kim grumbles, distracting himself by licking around Kyungsoo's nipples, hardening his tongue and flicking at them as they respond. “I mean,” he adds quickly, “I wasn't waiting or anything. I was just… looking. So I noticed.”

Kyungsoo furrows his brows. “You saw it the next morning.”

Another glance, and Mr. Kim rolls onto him fully, kissing down the middle of Kyungsoo's stomach. “...Yeah,” he says unconvincingly as he traces a hickey by Kyungsoo's belly button. “Anyway, inconsequential. Yes, I sent it on purpose. Happy?”

For whatever reason, it actually does make him kind of happy. Kyungsoo lets his legs fall open, connecting his hands behind his head to lift up to a better view, “Go for it.”

“Uhhh,” Mr. Kim licks his lips again, looking down between Kyungsoo's legs. “Umm… maybe we need lube?”

Kyungsoo taps his cheek lightly, “I  _ am _ the lube.”

“Maybe I should… pull up a video or something,” Mr. Kim mutters, more to himself than to Kyungsoo. “Like a tutorial… There was this sex toy YouTuber guy who talked about it—”

“If you have to look up how to do this, maybe you shouldn—”

“Ah no, I got it,” Mr. Kim rushes out, pushing Kyungsoo's thighs further apart. First, a finger slipping between Kyungsoo's cheeks to locate his hole, and then dipping in with his tongue after, lapping immediately. It only lasts for a few seconds, enough for Kyungsoo to writhe and his skin to tingle, before Mr. Kim rears back and replaces his mouth with two fingers, pumping eagerly.

He's still plenty loose from earlier, and his heat already helps with the prep. Impatient as ever, Mr. Kim doesn't bother with increments and goes straight for four after a minute of little resistance. It's very snug, but while discomfort-free, it's not exactly arousal inducing either. Fingerfucking can get him off, but this is rushed and the intention is to open him up as quickly as possible, hardly foreplay. His attention is better spent watching Mr. Kim's face, breathing from his mouth hanging open, staring at Kyungsoo's ass like he's witnessing some kind of miracle occur. Kyungsoo thumbs at the alpha’s thick bottom lip, gasping when Mr. Kim pulls it into his mouth and slides his tongue around it, sucking hard.

If he wants to suck, Kyungsoo can give him something to suck. He withdraws his finger, watching Mr. Kim's lips chase after it. Cradling Mr. Kim's jaw, he guides him to his cock, where Mr. Kim immediately parts his lips and slurps him all the way to the base, humming happily.

There are knuckles butting up against his rim. It’s a strange sensation, definitely. Mr. Kim has slowed down, lifting off of Kyungsoo’s cock fully with each upward motion to observe his handiwork before sinking back down. His eyes occasionally dart up to Kyungsoo’s, as if checking for signs of discomfort as he stretches further, the pad of Mr. Kim’s thumb rubbing gentle half circles around his hole.

The thumb is tricky. Mr. Kim’s eyes widen nervously, which doesn’t do much for Kyungsoo’s own nerves as he watches. It’s a very tight fit, but luckily, the alpha finds some patience and backs off repeatedly, allowing slick to help with the glide. The pressure grows, almost unbearably so as Kyungsoo holds his breath, legs tense, suspended in the air. 

It aches. Quite a bit, actually, before it finally drops down as Mr. Kim pushes forward. He is full. He is  _ so _ full. But it’s much more bearable now. 

“ _ Holy crap, _ ” Mr. Kim whispers.

There's not enough air in the room. His toes twitch as Kyungsoo struggles to remember how to breathe. It doesn’t hurt, everything just feels too tight as Mr. Kim slowly, carefully curls his fingers into his palm.

“Can I take a picture of this?” the alpha asks, reaching blindly for his phone, too far away.

“Do you want to die?” Kyungsoo gasps, chancing a look down between his legs. Yep. That’s a wrist.

A beat later, Mr. Kim looks up at him with concern in his eyes. “...Does it hurt?”

_ “Can you just move it already _ ,” he grits out, legs trembling from the strain of holding them in the air. Kyungsoo grabs onto the backs of his knees, still trying to catch his breath as Mr. Kim hesitantly moves. He groans involuntarily, feeling tingles sizzling in currents to every nerve ending in his body. His mind hasn't yet registered this as  _ pleasurable _ , but it doesn’t hurt at least.

Growing more confident, Mr. Kim adjusts to a more comfortable position, wets his lips, and speeds up minutely. “What does it feel like, Soo?” he murmurs, dipping down to suck Kyungsoo’s cock back to life for several strokes. “Do you like it?”

He can’t hold a conversation right now, goddammit. He can hardly think.

“Should-… should I stop?” Mr. Kim looks more worried now, eyes darting up from Kyungsoo’s face and down to where his hand is.

“It doesn’t hurt,” he hisses, weakening legs leading Kyungsoo to drape a foot onto Mr. Kim’s shoulder, sighing gratefully as the alpha catches on and adjusts so he can rest Kyungsoo’s other foot against him, taking away the burden of having to support himself. Maybe he should’ve thought this through. Or at least let Mr. Kim watch the tutorial video or something. Too late now. “There’s just… a lot. Keep going.”

Mr. Kim keeps his movement short and gentle. It gets a little easier to breathe after a minute. It’s definitely an…  _ odd _ sensation. None of the blunt force from another person's pelvis ramming against his ass. He's stuffed full and fuller still, with no give to the hard, heavy weight inside of him. Another groan slips out of his mouth as Mr. Kim adjusts again, twisting slightly with each pump in.

“This looks so wild,” Mr. Kim says in awe.

This is absolutely not the time for awe. Kyungsoo grabs the alpha's head by an ear and pulls him back down, letting out another thin moan as Mr. Kim’s lips wrap back around his dick.

The pressure doesn't lower in intensity, but it translates into something pleasurable the more Mr. Kim distracts with his mouth, to the point where Kyungsoo's groans trail off wispily and he's spreading his legs wider. It's still a confusing sensation. Definitely not a cock. Kind of like a knot, if it was on the end and knobby. Lacking, yet overwhelming. It's sending jolts up his spinal column, and Kyungsoo's body is vibrating with tension.

“I- I think—” he tries to warn, before an orgasm knocks the air from his lungs. His legs twitch like he's being electrocuted. The wave carries him, but it's incomplete, lacking. Panicking, he pulls Mr. Kim off of his cock and yanks him upward, struggling to shape words in his desperation.  _ “Now,” _ he sobs out, barely coherent, “do—Mist- Jongin— _ please.” He needs it, he needs it. _

Mr. Kim's face fills his vision, confused and concerned, trying to decipher his words. The wave is still cresting, but nearing its decline. He could cry right now, overwhelmed and desperate.

_ “—B-bite,” _ he stutters wetly, whimpering as emotion wells up inside him, unfulfilled and fading. He seizes up again, crying out in ecstasy as sharp pain blooms in the crook of his neck, greedily angling his head to the side to grant Mr. Kim better access, for the sting to continue as the wave renews and eventually ebbs away at a much lazier, more satisfying pace.

Kyungsoo lets out a content sigh as he sinks back into the pillow, basking as he feels his hole still throbbing from the rush. An alpha— _ his _ alpha, his heat tells him—is here, is tending to him. He's safe and wanted and satisfied.

Mr. Kim releases the patch of skin, licking at the new bite wound and breezing into his view to drop a kiss on Kyungsoo's nose before sitting back, looking down at his hand.

“Oww…” the alpha whines. “You locked down on me.”

His body thinks it's a knot. He's dead weight right now, too relaxed and fucked out to fire up any brain cells responsible for speech, opting instead to silently nod.

“You're cutting off my circulation. That was really hot though,” Mr. Kim adds brightly.

Kyungsoo shushes him, letting his eyes shut as he tries to regulate his breathing.

“If I open my hand and wiggle, it'd be like you're a muppet.”

In his exhaustion, he still manages to crook one eyelid open. “...Shh,” Kyungsoo whispers tiredly, adding as an afterthought, “...and don’t you dare.”

Not like Mr. Kim is one to be silent. He manages for nearly half a minute before he gets bored and starts squirming, rubbing his erection against Kyungsoo’s thigh, and messing with his hair. Kyungsoo musters up enough energy to give him a limp handjob, with the alpha trying to help, and whining that his left hand just isn’t up to task. He finishes on Kyungsoo’s face shortly after, at the omega’s direction, grunting and pleased as hot spurts land in diagonals. Mere seconds later, his slick-coated hand is finally freed, swirling the cum into Kyungsoo’s skin.

“Can I…” Mr. Kim trails off, holding up cum-coated fingers between Kyungsoo’s legs. “I mean, we’ve already…”

“Do I not smell enough like you, Mr. Needy Alpha?”

“No.”

Kyungsoo bats the hand away, crossing his legs for emphasis. “I need water,” he says drowsily, still blinking away the jizz clinging to his lashes. “Help me up, I need to go shower.”

“No!” Mr. Kim rushes out, pushing him back to the mattress. “Wait here. I’ll get you some water, okay? I’ll be right back.”

He’s gone in the next blink. Kyungsoo doesn’t bother, boneless and still dazed, feeling disgusting covered in cooling cum. He is roused moments later to the sound of rushing water, and blinks in confusion trying to locate the source, only to get a face full of towel as Mr. Kim tries to clean him off, pushing a cold glass into his hands. Greedily, he downs the whole thing in a couple of gulps, grimacing as Mr. Kim scrubs at a stubborn stain on his cheek.

The world goes sideways as he’s lifted up, bridal style, and hauled toward the bathroom, squeaking in equal parts indignance and confusion. The water sound gets louder. Set back on his feet, he finds the source: an oversized bathtub being filled. It looks rather tempting, but he’s led into the shower stall instead.

This shower is massive compared to his. Kyungsoo moans blissfully as the water pelts down on him. He hears a chuckle, and then Mr. Kim is in front of him, lathering up a washcloth and scrubbing him down, taking care to go gently and detailed with his face. Maybe he should take over. He’s a grown ass man, he can wash his grown ass self. But Mr. Kim squirts some shampoo into his hair and kneads his fingertips through Kyungsoo’s strands, and his eyes flutter shut on their own volition. Mr. Kim’s fancy peach-scented shampoo replacing the sticky cum is an acceptable trade for him. His heat is placated, still able to cling to the alpha’s scent, in some way. Minutes pass, the hot water massaging his scalp having a trance-like effect, he doesn’t notice anything until Mr. Kim turns the handle and the water stops.

Mr. Kim yips and hurries out of the stall, blasting chilly air as the door swings open. He snickers to himself as he turns the faucet off for the bathtub, the water reaching the edge and threatening to spill over. “Whoops,” he mutters, sneaking an embarrassed glance back at Kyungsoo and draining it down a little. “Get in.”

“Huh?”

Mr. Kim takes his hand and directs him toward the tub. “Get in,” he repeats.

“I gotta go cook, remember?”

“You gotta get in.”

Whatever. Dinner is mostly prepped already, and this big tub is beautiful and calling his name. Contrary to his expectations, Mr. Kim vanishes after he sees Kyungsoo settled in. That's a little disappointing, but it's not like he's up for anything right now. He just doesn't particularly want to be alone. His body is rather pliant and stretchy during heats, and this isn't the sorest it's ever been, but it's sore enough. Company would've been nice though. It's not like there is any prearranged understanding, but he feels he deserves some cuddles after everything that happened, dammit.

After dozing off several times and still not seeing the alpha return, loneliness and curiosity finally get to him, and Kyungsoo carefully climbs out of the tub, toweling off and sniffing the air for Mr. Kim.

The sheets smell like sex. Mr. Kim's room is overloaded with a mix of their pheromones. He doesn't want to leave. The moment he swings the door open, however, he's bolting for the kitchen. What the fuck is that smell…

“Oh!” Mr. Kim exclaims, still stirring the pot as he notices Kyungsoo.

There is a new bouquet on the counter. Bright yellow sunflowers this time, but that barely registers. “What… are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks, taking a step closer to the stove, eyeing the red bottle next to it. What kind of hot sauce makes this smell…

“Making, ah, food?” Mr. Kim's cheeks turn pink as he stirs some more, trying to break the contents up.

Braving a look into the pot, Kyungsoo makes out ramen noodles in some sort of brown broth with unevenly chopped chunks of garlic and red blobby curds floating on top. He takes another whiff. “Is… is that… ketchup?”

“...Maybe?”

Kyungsoo flips the cap of the ketchup bottle closed and stares at the pot in horror. “You put ketchup into ramen?” he asks incredulously.

Mr. Kim smoothly upends the contents of the pot into the sink, hosing it away and turning off the stovetop. His lips jut out into the poutiest frown as he turns back to Kyungsoo, face red. “I didn't think it through,” he mutters, gaze downcast as he rubs the back of his neck nervously. “It sounded good in my head, but yeah, it was looking pretty gross.”

The smell is messing with his sinuses. Kyungsoo scratches at his nose, sniffling through his giggle. There are so many questions here, which should he even attempt first… “What-... You went away for college, didn't you? What the hell did you eat?” he asks.

“Chipotle,” Mr. Kim announces proudly. Unperturbed by the look of sheer disgust in Kyungsoo's face, Mr. Kim steps forward and beams. “Chipotle is awesome.”

Kyungsoo rests a hand against Mr. Kim's cheek. “Look at me,” he says solemnly.

Mr. Kim turns to kiss his palm and leans into it, waiting attentively.

“Chipotle is awful.”

“It is  _ not _ .”

“You went overseas to new and exciting places, and you only ate bastardized versions of actually good food. This is tragic.”

Mr. Kim feigns a gasp and scandalized face. “Blasphemy!”

Snorting, Kyungsoo sidesteps him, “Shoo, I'm gonna get dinner going.”

“We should go somewhere nice,” Mr. Kim pulls him back, blocking the path to the fridge. “Or get takeout, or have someone come here and cook. You're always cooking.”

“I'm your personal chef, remember? That's literally my job.”

“But you do it like all the time.”

“...Because it's my  _ job _ .”

“Yeah, but…” Mr. Kim purses his lips, struggling for another excuse. “You're in heat. This is… paid medical leave. Sick day.”

Kyungsoo nudges him aside, “I don't get sick days in my contract. Stop obstructing, boss man.”

“ _ You're not feeling well _ ,” Mr. Kim insists.

Is he not? Sure, he’s tired and sleepy, but they’ve had a rather eventful day. He's just drained. Kyungsoo sniffles again, scratching at his nose and sneering at the pointed look the alpha gives him. It's probably just allergies?

“I  _ told _ you that you'd get sick,” adds the alpha in a whine, pouting at the counter, pulling at his sleeve. “Don't cook tonight. Let's go—Oh!” He claps as another thought occurs to him and points out the window, “We can shift and go down to the woods over there.”

“I don't like shifting,” Kyungsoo says immediately. “I'm not shifting.”

“Why not?”

“Wait,” Kyungsoo shoves him weakly. “Weren't you the one who's all like 'you can't go out when you're in heat, you need to stay indoors and pray next to a charcoal stove’ or something?”

“I meant like not being around large crowds of people,” Mr. Kim explains, pulling him closer. “A run through the woods would be good for you. We can go all the way to this little hill. There's a pond…”

This is not remotely tempting, despite what Mr. Kim may think. Searching for a distraction, Kyungsoo turns back to the bouquet and bats at the nearest sunflower. “You're taking Bodyguard Oh’s newest gift better this time.”

Another pout. “It's  _ my _ gift,” Mr. Kim corrects sullenly.

He raises an eyebrow. “You what?”

“You said you didn't want the other ones, so I had these delivered…”

Kyungsoo glances back and forth between the alpha and the bright bouquet. The ones from the market earlier… He had rejected them on principle. “I don't know if Sehun will see these. He's not exactly dying to prance through your cloud of rutting hormones again.”

Mr. Kim’s lower lip somehow juts out further. “Why do you keep bringing him up? What do I care if he sees them?”

He had assumed it was an ego thing… Not that it still isn't, in some way. Kyungsoo touches the tiny yellow petals, trying to hide a smile. Well, it is cute.

“When I was in London,” Mr. Kim leans his hip against the counter, sliding a hand across the granite surface to flick at Kyungsoo's fingers playfully, “I'd shift and go through these woods a few blocks from the school. It was so cold, and there were all kinds of smells, and it was the best place ever. It was like you weren't even in the city anymore.”

“You really did the Korean werewolf in London thing?” Kyungsoo smirks.

“It lets you just shut off. Don't knock it.”

He squirms under the alpha's gaze, finally giving up. “I don't like shifting because the last time I did, I… did stuff.”

“What, boning in fur isn't your style?”

“I ate a rabbit. I felt so bad. It was really little.”

At least that stopped Mr. Kim for a moment. He offers a sympathetic hand stroke, but continues to press right after. “Pack runs do improve your immune response though…”

Perhaps he is feeling defensive, or maybe he really is getting under the weather and growing irritated. “My pack are these two dorks I've hung around with since grade school,” Kyungsoo says, voice clipped. “Outside of them, it'd only work with family or mates, Mr. Kim.”

Mr. Kim's eyes widen and he recoils, muttering something about just trying to help as he meanders to the other end of the kitchen, finally dropping the issue.

The air is awkward now. He didn't think he said anything wrong, but the alpha is casting wounded glances his way like a kicked puppy. It's just stating the obvious, but suddenly, he feels like the bad guy. Sifting through the conversation, Kyungsoo tries to recall what he said that was so offensive, and comes up mostly blank.

In an attempt at offering an olive branch, he shelves the planned meal and opts for grilled fish with miscellaneous banchan for ease and speed, which peps Mr. Kim's mood up enough for him to suggest grilling on the balcony, and immediately dashing off to set up the area.

It's still a little awkward, despite huddling close together on the balcony floor, over a blanket Mr. Kim had spread out, picnic style. The alpha avoids eye contact once they're about to eat, quietly flaking a bite of his fish onto a fork and setting it on the edge of Kyungsoo's plate. He doesn't move to eat the rest, eagerly waiting for his response.

While it's true that traditionally, mated pairs or mates-to-be will offer each other the first bite of each meal as promise that they will take care of one another, and that they are able to; not-so-traditionally, he's heard of people doing this ritual with whomever their current sex partners are, or just for funsies, as a cutesy mockery. Or regurgitating what one sees on TV, a childish miming of gestures.

“Do you want to test mine for poison too?” Kyungsoo asks carefully. Sussing out meaning doesn't seem like something worth pursuing right now. It can be meaningless. It is likely meaningless. Just an alpha in rut surrendering to every impulse. His body is covered in this alpha's impulses. 

“If you suspect yours of being poisoned,” Mr. Kim replies quietly, tracing the edge of his plate with a fingertip. 

A coy nonanswer. Well then, two can play that game. Kyungsoo goes for something of a middle ground, popping the offered bite into his mouth and using the fork to spear some of his fish, returning the utensil to its owner’s plate as he chews. 

Mr. Kim feigns his own version of choking to death after he accepts the bite, lightly coughing and slumping onto Kyungsoo, devolving immediately into soft giggles at himself, lifting away some of the awkward tension. The sky is clear tonight, the air humid. It brings all kinds of smells and sounds from the woods and the river up to the balcony. It's relaxing, in a way.

Under the moonlight, Mr. Kim's eyes glow so brightly, it'd almost be eerie if Kyungsoo didn't remember that his own were likely doing the same. The tapetum lucidum—the reflective tissue behind their retinas catching every bit of light in the dark and shining it outwards—is one of the easiest indicators of wolf versus human. In this lighting, Mr. Kim’s eyes are marbled teals and golds in place of their normal soft brown. 

He's distractingly breathtaking. With his disheveled hair and all that exposed, bronze skin, Kyungsoo is finding it harder to look away, back to his plate.

“You know there's a knife set on the counter, right?” Mr. Kim asks, breaking the silence of the dinner. It returned almost immediately after, and is getting unbearable. “There's a whole butcher block thing of them.”

“I have my own knife,” Kyungsoo replies.

“I saw it earlier,” Mr. Kim says. “It's cracked. I don't think these have ever even been used. They're supposed to be fancy, I think? They're for you to use.”

“Those aren't…” He has to be careful to omit his disdain for the home shopping network set of what amounted to nothing more than an overpriced, decorative set of damask-style metal posing as knives. “I didn't take good care of mine when I first got it, but it's still sharp. It works fine. I don't like using other people's stuff.”

Mr. Kim frowns, going quiet again. 

“What's wrong with you?” Kyungsoo asks finally.

“Nothing.”

He pushes the alpha, copying his pout, “What is it?”

“I'm just tired,” Mr. Kim is back in Brood Mode again, it seems.

“You'd think that getting to violate my body like earlier would re-energize you somewhat…”

Mr. Kim's face briefly goes blank, before he smirks, “Are you wanting another round?”

Kyungsoo swats playfully at his face, sticking his tongue out, “Never again is good for me, thanks. I don't even think it was even all that great for you.”

“It was fun,” Mr. Kim counters.

“Whatever. It's been checked it off your bucket list now, so no repeats.”

Mr. Kim scoots closer, wagging his eyebrows, “How about a lapdance, then?”

Kyungsoo levels his best dead-eyed stare, “From you?” He pats his thighs, “Alright then. Go for it.”

He's hit with a dazzling grin. Mr. Kim licks his lips. “I'll play you for it. Scissors-rock-paper.”

“Why on Earth would I do that?”

“Because you’re secretly kinky and want to,” Mr. Kim says confidently, shaking a fist in the air in preparation.

Unthinkingly, Kyungsoo matches him and throws on the count of three. Both scissors. “What do I get if I win?” he finally asks.

“A lapdance, I thought?” Mr. Kim looks so serious. It's kind of hot. Throw. Scissors again. 

“So that's the prize, both ways?” he confirms.

Three for three, tied with paper. “And you may only call me Jongin or hyung,” Mr. Kim amends.

He throws paper again. Mr. Kim throws scissors. “Two out of three,” Kyungsoo says quickly, cheeks warming.

As predicted, Mr. Kim throws rock. Kyungsoo smirks, lifting his hand from paper position to swat at the alpha’s forehead. Except now they're tied. He's actually nervous about a game of scissors-rock-paper. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes and throws.

Scissors for him.

Rock for Mr. Kim.

How did he misread that. Fuck. 

“Three of five.”

“Hmm, I don't know that song,” Mr. Kim says smarmily, leaning back on his hands and spreading his long legs out. “But put it on if that's what makes you feel sexy.”

He was just trying to get the alpha out of his sulky mood. How did he get into this situation?

“You’re kidding, right…” Kyungsoo whines, putting on his most pitiful look.

“You played, baby,” Mr. Kim grins, ‘you gotta pay.”

He fakes a cough. “I’m sick, alpha…”

Mr. Kim frowns along with him in mockery, stroking his cheekbone with a finger, “My mom taught me exercise is good for when you’re sick.” His voice is saccharine sweet in the most overly unctuous way. No pity here.

“You’re going to bring up your mom right before getting a lapdance?”

The alpha lifts his hands in a questioning manner, looking down at his thighs, “No lapdance yet?”

Kyungsoo heaves a heavy sigh and pushes himself up to standing, watching miserably as Mr. Kim dashes to a chair, scraping it across the concrete to turn it to facing him gleefully.

Fine.

He can do this.

“How about three out of five, and I'll suck you off?” Kyungsoo proposes, clasping his hands together in front of his chest in askance.

Mr. Kim pats his lap primly, clicking his tongue, “Come to hyung.”

Urgh. Fucker.

No use in prolonging the inevitable, though. He can at least rain on the alpha’s parade. Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, going for sultry, licking his tongue lewdly across his upper lip and starts swaying side to side, as if dancing to a children’s bop. He advances, dragging the fingertips of one hand across the opposite forearm, throwing his head back and popping his hips erratically toward the alpha.

Mr. Kim claps his hands over his mouth and guffaws through his fingers, clapping for more.

Spurred on, Kyungsoo steps up onto the chair, on either side of Mr. Kim’s thighs, and continues to wiggle in place. Supported by Mr. Kim’s hands gripping his legs, he carefully turns around, doing his lamest impression of a twerk, squealing loudly when Mr. Kim mashes his face in between Kyungsoo’s ass. He pushes him back, turning around again to pelvic thrust robotically.

Mr. Kim’s giggles are infectious. Kyungsoo is having trouble staying upright from his own laughter while occasionally still trying to maintain the veneer of seriousness. Throwing a leg over Mr. Kim’s left shoulder, he gyrates his crotch against Mr. Kim’s cheek, faltering when the alpha opens his mouth wide and moans loudly into the fabric, vibrating against his skin.

Kyungsoo pulls back, coquettishly hooking a thumb on either side of his waistband and inching it down bit by bit, occasionally reversing direction while still swaying his hips. His dick finally exposed, Kyungsoo lets go of the hem, helicoptering his soft cock in circles in front of the alpha’s face, watching as Mr. Kim goes from entertained to focused, swallowing as his eyes practically cross trying to follow the movements.

The arousal throws off his performance. His dick starts slapping softly against his thigh as it slowly fills, trajectory upended. As a test, Kyungsoo pivots his hips forward, biting his lip as Mr. Kim’s mouth falls open expectantly, tongue sticking out to flick at the underside of Kyungsoo’s cock.

He pushes forward, goosebumps breaking out across his body as Mr. Kim eagerly sucks him into his mouth, hands gripping his ass to urge him closer. This is a precarious position, standing backward on a patio chair, and Kyungsoo is acutely aware of the danger. He allows Mr. Kim to suck for a few more seconds, and pulls back, pushing the alpha way by the forehead when Mr. Kim’s mouth chases after him. He pushes the hands from his ass as well.

“No touching.”

There’s no trace of amusement left in Mr. Kim’s eyes now, shining gold and glowing red from within. He’s watching Kyungsoo as if he’s prey. The tone had changed so fast. Kyungsoo turns around and settles into Mr. Kim’s lap, back facing him. His center of gravity is way lower now. This is much less scary. Nudging his pants down off of one leg, barely hanging onto his knee, Kyungsoo arches his back, glancing over his shoulder as he spreads his cheeks, letting them jiggle back into place, enjoying Mr. Kim worrying his lower lip as he watches with rapt attention.

The next minute is spent trying to goof around, wiggling in the alpha’s lap, but no giggles emanate from behind him anymore. He turns back to see Mr. Kim’s intense gaze shift from his ass up to his face and shakily looks away, wanting to prolong this. There’s already something hard digging into his thigh. Kyungsoo grinds against it, over the thick fabric of Mr. Kim’s ubiquitous black sweatpants. The alpha shifts, lifting both of them up briefly, and he feels bare skin against his own a moment later, a growl vibrating behind him as his ass slides against silky, firm skin.

A hand wraps around his stomach, pulling him flush against Mr. Kim’s stomach, and Kyungsoo feels teeth against his nape.

“No touching,” he whispers.

The hand drags down his abdomen, wrapping tight around his cock right as the teeth catch a bit of skin in the side of his neck.

“Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo whimpers.

“You lost,” Mr. Kim snarls, having to let go to speak. He misses the mild sting instantly. “It’s Jongin, remember?”

He’s wrapped fully in the alpha’s scent. Kyungsoo closes his mouth to swallow, subtly checking himself to make sure he’s not drooling. He grabs Mr. Kim’s wrist, guiding him to stroke the length of Kyungsoo’s cock and back repeatedly. “Y-you’re not supposed to touch,” he reminds him, fucking into the alpha’s fist.

“Oh,” Mr. Kim lets go, dropping his hand, “sorry.” The utter lack of sincerity in that statement.

Scrambling to turn around again, he braces himself against the alpha’s shoulders and stands in the chair, immediately pushing his cock into Mr. Kim’s hot mouth. With every couple of strokes, he’ll pull out and push in a different direction, making Mr. Kim chase after him or have his shaft drag against the alpha’s cheek, smearing saliva mixed with precum. 

He’s going to come like this. Kyungsoo pulls out again, hearing a low, frustrated growl before he goes sideways. Fearing he’s falling, he reaches out to grab at the armrest, only to find that Mr. Kim had carried him by the hips, back into his lap, and is trying to rearrange his cock between them, prodding around for Kyungsoo’s hole.

“Soo…”

He should keep playing. Draw this out.

Mr. Kim’s cockhead finds home and pushes in roughly.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Kyungsoo hisses, grinding down against the knot as he holds his breath. There’s some soreness, but it’s nothing new or extreme. “All of it. Give me all of it.”

Vaguely, as if there were subtitles on an imaginary screen that he could acknowledge and instantly let slip from his mind, it occurs to him that once again, they are about to fuck sans condom.

“Hurry,” he whines, bouncing a little.

“Mm, baby, you’re so wet…” Mr. Kim is somehow much more sane than he is at this moment, which is entirely unfair. The alpha lifts his hips slowly, holding Kyungsoo in place as he works on stuffing the knot inside. 

It breaches, stinging a bit as he stretches around it. Kyungsoo lets out a small whimper. A hand rubs circles on the small of his back, another tilting his head to the side. Kyungsoo eagerly obliges.

“B—”

Mr. Kim sucks hard against the crook of his neck, dragging his wet lips up under Kyungsoo’s jaw, immediately finding the spot where he’s most sensitive. His tongue tickles Kyungsoo’s skin as he forces the knot in the rest of the way, groaning in satisfaction.

Mr. Kim rolls his hips upward, grinding hard and fast. Kyungsoo is about to complain, and gasps as he feels teeth replace tongue. Just a hint of something sharp prickling at his neck, but nothing else.

“Mis—” He’s so close. A wet moan escapes his mouth as Mr. Kim rocks into his body again. “Bite,” he begs, chanting his request over and over as his lashes grow damp.

His words go ignored as Mr. Kim leans back, slouching low and thrusting harder into him, one hand loosely wrapped around Kyungsoo’s dick, the thumb stroking at the underside. Mr. Kim’s eyes are solidly red through the shine, brows furrowed in determination.

“I’m gonna come,” Kyungsoo warns, clawing at him to come back. “I- please!”

“Say the magic word,” Mr. Kim growls.

“ _ Please!  _ Alpha, I—” Kyungsoo gasps, feeling himself reach the cusp, rocketing forward regardless of need. The magic word?! Through another loud, high-pitched moan, he tries to rack his brain, trying to prolong the moment. How did this turn around on him? He was the one doing the taunting. “Jongin,  _ please _ ,” he sobs, clawing at Mr. Kim’s chest to pull him close, wailing out the alpha’s name again and again.

Mr. Kim’s teeth clamp down at the same time Kyungsoo does so on the alpha’s cock, spasming as his body seizes up. Somewhere in the back of his head, he remembers that they’re outside, and the houses here are still pretty packed together, but all that concerns Kyungsoo in this moment is the heavy knot twitching inside him, splashing warmth into him as Kyungsoo goes boneless, held in place by Mr. Kim’s mouth as the alpha continues to jerk him off until he’s too sensitive to take more and brushes weakly over Mr. Kim’s hand. His thoughts go silent afterward. He can’t even form thoughts. It’s all just white noise, warm and soothing and he can just luxuriate in the mixing of their scents, the dopamine rush leaving him satiated as Mr. Kim pulls him against his chest.

“I need to sleep,” Kyungsoo mutters, once his sweat has cooled and a breeze has picked up, causing a shiver to run through him.

Mr. Kim’s body jerks, stirring from a light slumber as he groggily pushes them both up to a straighter position. “Do you want another bath?”

“I’ll just jump in the shower.”

He had meant his own, but Mr. Kim pulls out, dripping cum all over both of their legs, and rushes him off to the alpha’s room, jumping into the shower with him. What should be a thirty second rinse off turns into several hazy minutes of enjoying to near-scalding hot rainfall showerhead pelleting his body. Mr. Kim slicks Kyungsoo’s hair out of his face for him, huddling close despite the wide space, touching their noses together at one point. He only smirks silently when the water drips off of his nose right into Kyungsoo’s nostril.

After toweling off, the alpha pulls them right into his bed, no questions or room for discussion. He drops his still-damp head onto the center of Kyungsoo’s chest, mumbling a soft, “G’night, Soo.”

This feels so natural, Kyungsoo realizes, combing through the alpha’s hair with his fingers. What is he supposed to do after his heat is over tomorrow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...the fisting here belongs to kaisoothe. It just does. What does that mean? It means it belongs to her. As for the chapter, I'm sorry it took so long! This chapter was so hard to write the way I wanted it to be written, and it's being split into two chapters. The second part will be up... "shortly". Theoretically within the next day or two. Big thanks to Lizzie, who betaed some of this for me. It's still a mess, especially near the end, but that's all my fault. I tried to throw in a bunch of real life kaisoo moments here, in honor of an anon in my cc. I hope y'all caught them. ;)


	9. Chapter 9

A blast of cold air across his bare shoulder rudely jostles Kyungsoo awake. He moans feebly and pulls the covers tight around himself, curling into a shivering fetal position. Mr. Kim keeps his room so chilly at night, which normally would not be a concern from under the blankets and with someone warm to snuggle with. His mind still muddled from sleep, he grunts and forces his eyes open, spying the lump of alpha on the other side of the bed, sprawled out and scratching his exposed belly, mindless of the cool temperature. Kyungsoo sideshuffles over quickly, huddling against his personal human furnace for some much needed body heat.

Still in deep sleep, Mr. Kim nuzzles against his forehead and throws an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist, squirming a leg in between Kyungsoo’s.

Kyungsoo wedges himself a little closer to the alpha’s chest, and sighs in relief. Much better…

A sneeze catches him off guard a minute later. Panicked, Kyungsoo opens his eyes and wipes at Mr. Kim’s chest, offering up a silent thank you to the heavens when the skin is dry to the touch. The room is still dark. Mr. Kim is still out. He reluctantly paws around for a phone, finding the alpha’s under their currently shared pillow and bringing it right up against his eyeball to get the time to focus. It’s barely morning. It’ll be hours before he has to worry about cooking. Or rather, grocery run. He had promised his pack that he’d finally venture out of their little love nest today to get groceries and do their regular morning walk. His sinuses ache when he swallows. His throat is raw too, promising soreness in the near future. Goddammit, he really did catch a cold.

Maybe he should bail on pack walk. Today, he reminds himself, is likely the last day of this season’s heat.

Maybe… they should stay in bed all day, and see just how much Mr. Kim enjoys eating supposedly strawberry-scented things…

Effective, modern heat survival medication doesn’t have to be  _ this _ effective, he grumbles to himself. It’s not like Kyungsoo enjoys going through heats, of course. They’re embarrassing, inconvenient, and a time-suck… Although the company this time has been rather enjoyable. Some moments have been more enjoyable than others, but overall… definitely never a dull moment.

And those moments are now ticking down to single digits. In less than twenty-four hours, he will just be Chef Kyungsoo again.

Not that he is anything else now, but… at least right now, it doesn't feel that way.

As a general rule, he hasn’t really let himself fully enjoy a rutting Mr. Kim. It’s not like he could keep being the boss’s fucktoy once his heat is over. Maybe for a few days, since Kyungsoo was weak and effectively begged him to mark him up, come inside him, do just about whatever he wished. He smells like the alpha rather strongly at present, and as much as he is chiding his past self, he’s also already shamelessly delighting over the thought of accruing more in the dwindling hours of his heat, so it will last as long as possible. Sorry, future self.

No strings, Mr. Kim had offered him. This is heat aid. The alpha will expect the same in return, once his head is clear again, post-rut. This is the guy who got caught knotting someone he’d just met in a public library in a foreign country. After the fuck fest is over, Mr. Kim won’t be falling in love with an employee he’s stuck with due to house arrest, like some cliche 80s rom-com. He’s a hot, spoiled playboy who can afford to indulge whatever new desire crosses his mind. 

Kyungsoo can’t do the same.

Mr. Kim combs through the back of Kyungsoo’s hair with his fingers and leans down to sniff at his scalp, humming happily, still unconscious.

It must be nice, not ever having to worry about consequences.

He shakes his head, willing the thoughts to fade away, the tightness to loosen in his throat. There will be plenty of time for the emo crash from post-heat separation later. Those claim marks all over his body will be haunting him in abundance. Kyungsoo sniffles, wincing at the reminder of his sore sinuses. Giving himself one last mental warning to not be That Guy who’ll let Mr. Kim dick him down whenever he’s bored or going through dry spells later, once things have gone back to normal, Kyungsoo takes a long, deep inhale. Those thoughts can wait until tomorrow. Right now, there is an alpha here who may be in desperate need of a haircut and seems to be allergic to clothes, but is still  _ here _ , and Kyungsoo can direct these unwelcome feelings of neediness to somewhere more productive.

Wriggling out of Mr. Kim’s embrace, Kyungsoo pulls the blanket over his head and inches down the alpha’s bare body until he’s comfortably nested between Mr. Kim’s legs. The thin coat on his thigh is soft against Kyungsoo’s cheek, although as his fingertips trail along the inside, the hair disappears, leaving only smooth skin. It’s amusing, but it’s really cute too. Mr. Kim’s cock is at half mast, just a casual morning wood. It fills him with a strangely powerful sense of urgency, and Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes shut again, cursing himself silently.

He should’ve rationed this dick. Goddammit, it really is about to run out. He’s not ready.

Scooting up to Mr. Kim’s crotch, Kyungsoo drags his nose along the side of the shaft, nuzzling his face into the coarse hair at the base and inhaling deeply. The alpha’s distinctive, sweet muskiness is faint, washed away from their shower last night. What a pity. He darts his tongue out and licks at the base where the knot should be, frowning as he tastes only mildly salty, clean skin. Pressing his cheek against the shaft to feel its weight and admire the smoothness, Kyungsoo sighs and breathes in again.

_ Alpha…  _ At the present moment, still  _ his _ alpha. Not really, but the illusion is still holding, with the way Mr. Kim behaves when he’s in rut. Not the jealousy or bravado, but the dorky, shy looks and the lame attempts to make him laugh. The stupid jokes. It’s familiar and comfortable, and he can pretend it’s his mate treating him this way. A part of him, a rather big part, wants to commit every bit of this to memory, for lonely nights when he’s feeling masochistic. Once Mr. Kim has recovered and is no longer under house arrest and is bringing home bedtime guests, and Kyungsoo can be alone in his room and recall when he too was offered first bites and sunflowers.

While he was stewing in his thoughts, the alpha’s cock has sunken down to its flaccid, disinterested state. Kyungsoo can’t recall ever actually seeing it like this, since it’s usually presented in a much more excited form. It’s still on the thicker side, the looser skin of the knot gathering more at the base. It’s rather cute… 

Since when did he find soft dicks cute. Goddammit, Do Kyungsoo, get it together.

Brushing his lips against the spongy head, he imagines the pheromones clinging to his skin, fusing to it for days after. The thought spurs him forward. He laps at the tip, swirling his tongue and sucking hard to stretch the shaft out. It’s filling quickly, growing heavier on his tongue with each pass. He rolls his lips over his teeth and revels in compressing the still-expanding cock as it stiffens. Kyungsoo grabs onto the alpha’s waist for leverage and begins bobbing all the way down to where the knot will soon swell. The skin there is textured rougher against his lips, but he doesn’t mind, relaxing his throat to swallow more. 

Above him, Mr. Kim’s body tenses, a gasp cutting through the silence from outside of the blanket, ending in a drawn out moan. Just as Kyungsoo’s swallowed around the head and sliding down as far as his throat will allow at this angle, the covers get pulled away.

“Kyu—”

_ “Cold!” _ Kyungsoo hisses, ripping the covers out of the alpha’s grasp and tucking it tightly around himself. Only his head is visible from outside of his tight cocoon.

“What…” Mr. Kim looks so confused, voice still thick from sleep. He gasps again, hips bucking upward as Kyungsoo opens his mouth and slurps the glistening dick before him back down. It pushes his cock in at the wrong angle, but that’s an easy fix, and Kyungsoo quickly manages to deepthroat him again.

His eyes stay glued to Kyungsoo’s face, totally enraptured, his mouth forming a cute ‘o’ as he breathes out little moans in sync with each hard suck. He’s so fucking cute.

Working his hand through the blankets, Kyungsoo finds the growing knot and squeezes it firmly to match with each downstroke, using his thumb to smear the dripping saliva more evenly over the skin. It’s hot and hard, and a part of him wants to climb up and bury it inside him, but another, more desperate part wants to see this through— _ needs _ to see this through, to have Mr. Kim’s taste linger on his tongue, to memorize this look of worship directed fully onto him.

“Soo, come up here,” Mr. Kim tugs at his shoulders roughly, voice shaky. His thighs are trembling intermittently. He resists. “Or turn around and let me suck you off too.”

Kyungsoo ignores him, focusing his efforts on massaging the knot in time with his strokes, ignoring the ache of the corners of his mouth being stretched so widely for so long. His eyes flutter shut as Mr. Kim pushes past the blanket to comb through Kyungsoo’s hair with his fingers, gripping tight and guiding his head up and down.

“Kyungsoo…”

He’s close. His knot is releasing regular throbs against Kyungsoo’s hand as his moans increase in pitch. None of his usual, deeper growls or throaty groans. Without Kyungsoo losing his mind underneath him, Mr. Kim is reduced to a soft, panting mess, occasionally mumbling Kyungsoo’s name out breathlessly. His thighs clench on either side of Kyungsoo’s legs.

“Ahh,  _ Soo… _ ” he whispers in warning.

Feeling him pulse, Kyungsoo slows down, swelling with pride as Mr. Kim lets out a long, wispy moan and lifts his hips off the bed. The first spurt shoots down Kyungsoo’s throat, and he hurriedly rears back so the next ones splash against the roof of his mouth. He has to time his swallows to not choke, given the increased amount of semen. That’d be embarrassing. Mr. Kim’s cum is both sweet and bitter, and Kyungsoo moans along with him as he makes sure to to not spill a single drop.

Still dazed, Mr. Kim lets out a little whimper when Kyungsoo pulls off, body twitching as he pants for breath. “You—” he gasps out, going limp, eyes still glazed over, “—disembodied… head… giving head…”

“That’s all you have to say from that?” Kyungsoo snickers, feigning offense. He gasps as he’s suddenly yanked back up the bed, landing on his back against icy sheets with a whoosh.  _ “Cold!” _ he exclaims before Mr. Kim climbs over him. It’s warmer, but Kyungsoo is still in panic mode and kicking at the blankets to hook them back up.

At least Mr. Kim notices and pauses whatever he’s trying to do to pull the covers over both of them, interlacing their fingers on either side of Kyungsoo’s head.

“Better,” Kyungsoo sighs, squirming a little as he adjusts to the ticklish sensation of Mr. Kim affixing his mouth to the side of Kyungsoo's neck.

“Gimme a second,” Mr. Kim whispers, nuzzling his way up to Kyungsoo's ear to nibble on the lobe. “I'll take care of you.”

Kyungsoo pats his cheek, “Take your time, Mr. Kim.”

The alpha goes still, releasing his ear. He pulls back slightly, enough to make eye contact with a confused Kyungsoo.

“...What?”

“Can you only say my name when you're screaming it? I could've sworn I won like two dozen bets and challenges and slayed a dragon and saved a nation already to get you to just say my damn name,” Mr. Kim mutters sulkily.

If Kyungsoo didn't know any better, he'd think the alpha actually looks wounded. He presses his lips together, weighing potential consequences. Last day. Tomorrow he will be Chef Do again. They can still play house today.  _ “Kim… Jong...un…” _ he drawls out slowly, shrieking when Mr.— when Jongin licks his nose bridge messily in retaliation. Kyungsoo pushes him away, indignantly swiping at the saliva, although relents when the alpha settles back down peacefully against him.

M— _ Jongin _ —spreads his palms open and interlaces their fingers again, pushing them high above Kyungsoo's head. ‘Jongin’ has such a nice ring to it. He nudges Kyungsoo's face with his stubbly chin, directing him to turn his head so the alpha can comfortably nuzzle back into place against his neck. The ticklish sensation fades quicker this time, Jongin's light sucking giving way to little nips. The small bursts of pain send shivers down his spine, reading pleasure in each bite.

“Ah!” he yips, fists clenching into Jongin's, when the latter opens his mouth wider and latches onto a larger patch of skin. Kyungsoo's eyes roll back as he arches forward reflexively, moaning when the alpha releases the skin and licks over it to soothe.

_ Yes… _

Jongin slips a hand out of his grasp to cradle Kyungsoo's head, angling him. His eyes have barely fluttered open when something soft touches his lips, caressing and molding against them.

“Was that so hard,” Jongin murmurs against his mouth, not giving him a chance to answer and initiating another kiss.

Quickly, Kyungsoo snaps his head to the side, severing their contact with an audible, wet pop, eyes wide in embarrassment as he claps a hand over his mouth.

“I—” He recoils, panicking, “What are you doing? I- I have morning breath…”

The bewildered look on Jongin’s face settles into amused relief. He catches one of Kyungsoo’s fingers in his teeth and pulls the hand away from Kyungsoo’s mouth before dipping back down for a chaste kiss, dropping another on the tip of his nose. “ _ I _ have morning breath,” he corrects, kissing the corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth next. “ _ You _ have cum breath, babe.”

He would feel mortified, but Jongin descends upon him again, and Kyungsoo finds it increasingly difficult to worry about anything else. There’s something about the way the alpha kisses. It’s very distracting.

Kim Jongin is a good kisser. Go figure. Something he could’ve gone his whole life without knowing, and now he’s cursed with this knowledge forever.

“You’re gonna get sick too,” Kyungsoo chides, remembering.

“Naw,” Jongin answers, moving down to bite Kyungsoo’s chin, scraping the stubble with his teeth until Kyungsoo manages to push his face away. “I’m a big, strong wolf, and I have this guy who takes care of me and makes sure I eat all my fruits and veggies.”

Kyungsoo snorts, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes. “How lucky for you. Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals just have these second-rate immune systems that get compromised, I guess.”

“Don’t worry, mere mortal,” Jongin waggles his brows as he dips back down. “I’ll take care of you.”

“I think—” Kyungsoo manages to slip out between kisses, “—the last time you said that, I ended up cosplaying as a sock puppet.”

Jongin sputters out a guffaw against his lips, spittle landing on Kyungsoo’s cheek for a split second before the alpha wipes them away, apologetic yet somehow still chortling loudly.

“...Ew?” Kyungsoo groans in disdain when Jongin responds by licking a wet stripe up the same side of his face. “You’re so gross.”

“Am I?”

“You’re pretty gross. Yeah.”

His legs are pushed apart, and a hand wriggles between his thighs. “You don't ever seem to mind when I'm doing that here,” Jongin taunts, eyes twinkling as he presses a finger against Kyungsoo's hole, swirling the gathering slick around.

Kyungsoo takes a moment to compose himself, ignoring the thrill racing down his spine at the intimate touch, “You've only done that once,” he corrects.

“That can't be right,” Jongin's brows furrow with doubt.

“It's really not,” Kyungsoo pouts a little. “And here, I was told how much you liked how I smelled and all this other B.S. about taking care of me in heat, offering services…”

Jongin's eyes widen, “You’re saying I haven't been taking care of you?”

“Taking care of  _ yourself _ , maybe,” Kyungsoo acts affronted. “Doing whatever  _ you  _ want, which may include turning me into a Dalmatian with all of these marks, but I guess actual oral services are premium.”

The alpha pushes two fingers in, twisting to spread the slick evenly. “I've eaten this beautiful ass more than once,” he says confidently as he pumps the digits in and out.

Kyungsoo gives his best condescending nod and stays silent.

As expected, Jongin takes it as a challenge. He leans in closer, until the tips of their noses touch. “Besides, you're telling me you weren't begging me to bite you each time?” he growls low, smirk broadening as Kyungsoo's breath gets heavier. “Take you apart and claim you as mine? None of that sounds familiar?”

He's fighting to not let any moans slip out and keep his face as neutral as possible, all while shamelessly spreading his legs wider for better access. “You had already started it,” his voice is shaky, distracted, and he knows Jongin knows. “You bit me first. What could I do but make the best of it? I had to be responsible, even though  _ I'm _ the one in heat.”

Jongin pouts mockingly, his fingers stilling, “That doesn't sound fair, does it?”

In place of answering, Kyungsoo glides his hand down the alpha’s damp chest, eyes following pointedly, before resting on his own abdomen. The stark contrast between Jongin's smooth, unmarred skin compared to the patches of red and purple on his. That's not even broaching his neck, where the skin is still raw from biting.

Jongin is studying the bites now.

“You get to do whatever you want,” Kyungsoo is whining. “I'm covered in your bites and hickeys and cum, and you'll just get away scotch free.” That was poor phrasing. He didn't mean for it to come out that way. 

The alpha looks up, arching a brow. “You gonna let me just get away?” he asks softly.

Kyungsoo sneers, “Oh, what, should I bite you?”

Jongin cants his head to the side, “Do it.”

He rolls his eyes at the goad, lifting his head until he's still safely half a centimeter away and clacks his teeth loudly, pulling back with a smug look only to find Jongin watching him placidly, brows still raised in question.

“Chickenshit.”

Ass. What is he supposed to do? No one really knows exactly where the line is for something to become a full-blown mating claim mark. Sex Ed classes have always hammered home that wolves should avoid biting altogether, or if you're going to be stupid and irresponsible, to only let one of the partners do it, to avoid risk of a premature or unwanted connection being made.

Nudging Jongin’s head left and right, Kyungsoo pretends to study the skin, looking back up at him doubtfully. “Is that how you play?” he asks. “You sure you aren’t already someone’s mate, and you just never noticed?”

He gets a soft headbutt to the forehead for that. Jongin rolls off to his side and pulls his fingers out to hover his hand above Kyungsoo's leg. “It's not how I play…” the alpha explains sulkily. He is silent for a moment, studying Kyungsoo's face. “Besides, if you're so put out by it, I was suggesting like… a hickey. To, you know, be fair. It's safe. And what's the worst that could happen?”

Kyungsoo raises his brows. This is rhetorical, right?

Jongin leans in, “I'm rich, hot, great in bed, and compliment you, like, at least twice an hour. Them’s lottery odds.”

“Uh huh,” Kyungsoo laughs to himself, looking away. “And so modest too.”

Fingers guide his chin to turn back, to look at Jongin, who connects their lips once more. It's a soft, easy kiss, and he barely notices getting rolled on top of the alpha until they part, opening his eyes to see Jongin guiding him toward the alpha’s right collarbone.

“Get it out of your system,” Jongin encourages gently. “No teeth, and it'd be fine.”

Kyungsoo stares at the skin, feeling suddenly nervous and put on the spot. He swallows. “Speaking from experience?”

No answer comes, and he slowly becomes aware that Jongin is breathing very shallow, trying to stay still. Feeling equal parts confused and excited, Kyungsoo leans down and extends his tongue. At the first touch, Jongin jumps slightly, hands tightening around his waist.

He traces along the skin with the tip of his tongue, slowly. It feels so taboo. He can still feel the raw marks on his own neck. Jongin's hands slide down the small of his back and pull his legs over either side of the alpha’s, coming back to squeeze an ass cheek in each palm.

Carefully, Kyungsoo lowers his head and presses lips to skin, open mouthed, just as Jongin spreads his ass open, and fingers prod at his rim again. And then the alpha shifts, decides to change tactics, and snakes his right hand under Kyungsoo’s leg to hook his thigh up by Jongin’s elbow before pushing two fingers in deep, deftly stroking.

He rests his head against the alpha’s shoulder as the fingers pump in and out. Jongin’s cock presses against his own, at an angle, hard and tempting. Fingers thread through his hair again, gripping and redirecting first, back to Jongin’s lips, then lower, against the crook of his neck.

Suckling lightly, Kyungsoo caresses the other side of the alpha’s neck, balancing himself. The fingers speed up, and Jongin moans softly, the grip in his hair tightening. Encouraged, Kyungsoo licks over the skin again, barely pinking, and increases pressure, rolling his hips to match their movements. There’s barely enough friction on his cock, but he has been turned on for the better part of an hour now, and getting too carried away to focus on that at present.

Jongin moans right into his ear. “That feels good,” he whispers, voice deeper. It’s tinged with the same vulnerable tone as earlier, during the blowjob, and it’s sexy as hell.

Feeling his teeth graze skin, Kyungsoo jerks back with a gasp, breaking suction. He turns his head just as Jongin does the same. This time, their kiss is hungrier. Jongin kisses like he wants to consume him. It's borderline painful, the alpha sucking his lip into his mouth, dragging his teeth across the tender flesh, and lapping against him. 

He loves it.

“Jongin, I’m close,” Kyungsoo warns, regretfully pulling away to pant for breath. His one lonely red mark stands out against the alpha’s skin. He’ll have to spend the next few weeks divorcing heat feelings from reality. It’s not fair.

Permitting himself the sensation of dragging his teeth carefully across Jongin’s neck, he pulls back to work another spot into the beautiful, bronze skin. The sweat carrying pheromones sizzle once more on his tongue as he sucks messily. The alpha moans, high and wispy above him. He feels drunk.

The pressure bubbles over, and Kyungsoo comes with a loud gasp, barely having the mind to let go of Jongin’s neck. He throws his head back in a silent scream, feeling his body convulse and compress.

He is rolled over, and a ticklish sensation flutters down his stomach as Jongin licks away the white streaks. A moment later, he’s bent in half, legs dangling in the air. Jongin shuffles, rearranges them, and spreads him open. He’s still reeling, twitching, when the alpha’s tongue pushes into his hole, darting and lapping up the slick greedily.

Jongin mutters something before burying his face against Kyungsoo’s ass again. 

“Huh?” Kyungsoo manages weakly. It feels incredible, but he reluctantly pushes away. “No,” he breathes out, “come fuck me. Now.”

The tongue withdraws and licks a wide strip up to Kyungsoo’s balls, sending another shock through him. Slowly, deliberately, Jongin wipes at the slick coating his lips and chin with the back of his hand. His eyes are red again. It matches the two small marks on his neck and shoulder. He lowers Kyungsoo back so his spine can straighten, and his legs can rest on either side.

“Roll over,” Jongin orders. “I’m not done yet.”

“Fuck me,” Kyungsoo shoots back. Even with the orgasm, he feels empty, his skin tingling with need. Anxious for contact, he pulls the alpha close, expediting their next kiss. Tasting himself on Jongin’s tongue reminds him that Jongin likely is doing the same. It only increases his desire. He’s already wrapped his legs around Jongin’s waist, squirming to try and wedge the alpha’s cock into place.  _ “Now.” _

“Like this?”

Pushing in at an agonizingly slow pace, Jongin lifts up to watch his face again. His hole is so sensitive, Kyungsoo keens out as more is fed, as he’s stretched wide open again. The knot bumps up against his rim, solid and unforgiving, and his breath catches at the soft impact. Their eyes meet for a moment before he looks down to where they’re joined, at the sight of the large bulb waiting patiently outside of his body. Bare. He needs it inside, filling him up again. While they can.

“Yeah, like this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so sorry this took ages. It's been kind of a rough month, and it's been kind of hard to write. It's hard to make rainbows without sunshine. But Jongin came through with his Gucci cruise shots and his dance at the end of his show, and ojifioaogea here it is. Also, luckily, my muse At1stSight is back from frolicking in Korea, and helped beta this mess into...a little less of a mess. This was supposed to encompass their entire day, but....yeah, 4.3k for only one damn scene. There's a lot going on. I don't know if it's obvious here or not, but yeah...uhhh...prepare for rain. Anyway, tell me what you think? What will happen? What part did you like? Are you ready????


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So funny story, I started a pornstar au shortfic, and was actually going to finish it, but put a poll up on twitter, and Yes, Alpha remains king (by the slimmest of margins, but it still won). So here's YA. Be careful what you wish for, mwahahaha. I'm going to finish up pornstar, and then update this again, because yeah, uh, there's more. Much more.

“Get up.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head and grunts. Negatory.

A nudge to his shoulder, “If you don't get up, I'm gonna fuck you again.”

“What kind of threat is that?” he laughs, finally turning his head to see Jongin smirking back.

Teeth flash. “It’s a _promise_.”

His hole is still throbbing. His sweat has cooled, making the sheets even more unwelcoming. Their last romp has sapped the last of his energy. He could just go right back to sleep, if only he didn't have obligations. His bones have turned into Jello. That was a wonderful round.

Jongin's hand pushes his thighs apart. “Yummy…”

“Go 'way,” Kyungsoo kicks feebly, laughing against Jongin's lips as the alpha climbs on top of him. He's enjoying this way too much, the feeling of their fingers weaving together, of being pinned down and lavished with attention.

“‘Fuck me, daddy’?” Jongin grins and nips at his nose. “Is that what you said? Well, okay, I guess. Since you're such a good little omega.”

“‘Daddy, get the fuck _off_ me so I can shower and get my day started,’ was what I said,” Kyungsoo says, pretending to push against his restraints.

“So you _did_ say daddy.”

His hand slips easily out of Jongin's loose grip, and he pushes at the alpha’s face. “Gross,” Kyungsoo snorts, pulling himself up with a reluctant sigh. He walks to the shower quickly, eager to warm back up from the cool room.

Jongin tails right behind him, dropping to his knees as the shower starts to run.

“What are you doing?” Kyungsoo giggles, trying not to squirm as the alpha buries his face in between Kyungsoo's ass cheeks.

“Taking care of my sweet little hole,” Jongin murmurs, before going back to lapping at the pucker. “Gotta make sure it doesn't get sore.”

“And since when is it yours?” Kyungsoo asks, twisting his upper body around to try and watch.

Jongin lifts away enough to give him a look before opening his mouth wide and biting down on Kyungsoo's left butt cheek. He actually _bites_ too, prompting a sharp gasp from Kyungsoo, and pulling away to repeat on the right cheek. Teeth indentations are left behind on red flesh. He looks unrepentant, smug even. “There,” Jongin announces, his voice low and gravelly. “I've claimed it. It's mine.”

With warm water rushing over the tender area, the bites sting. It sends tingles through the rest of his body. They were hard bites. Kyungsoo sneers, “Oh yeah? And what do I get then?”

Jongin stands up, turning him around so they face each other fully. “What do you want? Flowers every morning? No more parties with strange smelling people? Name it.”

That took a really weird shift from their usual banter. Kyungsoo doesn't know how to respond. After an awkward few minutes of actual rinsing, they end up fitting another quickie in, Jongin showing off and fucking him standing up, using just his arm strength and not propping Kyungsoo against the shower wall under the pretense that he wouldn't want him to get cold again. The questions get washed away too, forgotten.

Back in the room, Kyungsoo gathers up his clothes so he can head back to his own quarters and get dressed. Crap, he's going to have to take care of this laundry himself or the cleaning crew will skin him alive. There must be cum _everywhere_.

 _“What—”_ Kyungsoo proclaims loudly, pointing at the abomination as Jongin walks in, “—are you wearing.”

Jongin looks down at the open fanny pack, and then back up to him. He shrugs as he loops his hair back into a bun, “It’s Gucci.”

He can only watch in a mixture of horror and mesmerization as Jongin’s junk swings wildly in his loose gray sweats. Jongin hipchecks him out of the way and pulls his nightstand drawer out, loading the fanny pack with condoms and sifting further to pull out a tiny bottle of lube, tucking it into the side pocket.

“What… are you doing.”

“You weren’t as wet last time,” Jongin explains cooly, finally shaking his tank out and shrugging it on. The muscle shirt has large arm holes, so the slightest movement causes it to billow away and expose more skin. “So, lube for ease. And I figured as cum-hungry as you are, you wouldn’t feel very comfortable walking around the market with your pack with it leaking out of your ass. I’m being _considerate_ , and preparing us for success.”

“Is this you trying to be sweet,” Kyungsoo says slowly, scoffing as the alpha nods. “Okay, one: you packed like twelve fucking  condoms in there. So… I don’t even know how to address that. And two: fuck you, we’re not having a repeat of Dongdaemun.”

Jongin breezes past and smacks him on the ass. “You know you _loved_ Dongdaemun.”

—

“Turns out Baby Kim _did_ have a priest kink, huh?” Tao nudges his shoulder for the fourth time, trying to get some acknowledgement for his lame joke.

“Also, how big _is_ his knot?” Chanyeol can’t help but chime in. “Is it good enough for our Kyungsoo? You know with that much booty, you need proper girth and length for our Kyungsoo to even feel anything.”

Kyungsoo closes his eyes and wishes for death. They seem to be immune to pain. As if dragging his boss to hang out with his friends isn’t awkward enough, it had somehow escaped him entirely that he is marked from head (to ass) to toe and reeking of Mr. Kim’s scent. He’s in heat. They’ve known him since diaper days. It’s not like it’s not obvious what he’s been up to. He’s not a pure guy, of course, but for them to talk about it in public, so blithely, someone strangle him, please. Or them, rather. Strangle _them_.

“I’m going to castrate both of you,” he growls under his breath. “Will you please shut up. He can hear you.”

“I don’t mind,” Jongin leans in to comment before teetering away and pretending to look at the fruit stall’s offerings.

Snarling to himself, Kyungsoo flicks his two pack members in the neck as he passes, and angrily sorts through the strawberry crates. It was minimally better when they first met up with his pack, with Jongin balking at how easily Sehun interacted with them. That only lasted for a few precious minutes, not even enough time for them to reach the damn market, for the duo to start.

He had expected… Well, honestly, he half-expected Jongin to posture and be jealous or something. But at the same time, while Chanyeol may be an alpha, he smells like Kyungsoo in the familial sense, as does Tao. There aren’t any sexual pheromones interacting here. It would be like being jealous of his brothers, Kyungsoo supposes. So while there have been some curious sniffs and curiouser glances exchanged, Jongin has mostly been amused by his packmates.

There is still plenty of tension between Jongin and Sehun, however. Not one to _not_ take advantage of a beneficial situation, Bodyguard Oh has been rubbing it in Jongin’s face constantly how close he is with Kyungsoo’s friends. Between their dogs’ matching jackets and all of their new inside jokes, _he_ has managed to get Jongin seething at least three times this morning already.

“Aww, our poor Kyungsoo got sick during Mandatory Bottom Week,” Tao says after Kyungsoo sneezes four times in a row, petting his arm regardless of how many times Kyungsoo pulls away and glares at him. “I’m sorry Bab—uhh, Mr. Kim, he’s typically much sturdier than this.”

Contrary to his expectations, Jongin actually doesn’t join in on the teasing. Instead, he chews on his bottom lip and, after a moment, leans in toward Kyungsoo. “Let’s find somewhere here and eat. You’ve been up for a while.”

“I have meal plans already,” Kyungsoo dismisses, glaring at his friends who have been eavesdropping and cheer at the prospect of free food.

“And you still need to eat. You’re sick,” Jongin says, leading them toward a little diner.

They pack like sardines into a corner booth, his friends intentionally sandwiching him so Jongin ends up sitting next to Sehun, and they face each other at an angle. Assholes.

“We’ve missed you so much,” sings Chanyeol, rocking him side to side by his shoulders.

“We did!” Tao joins in, purposefully loud and offbeat. “We missed youuuu!”

“Oh!” Chanyeol snaps his fingers, before helping himself to a handful of the basket of strawberries they’ve got from the market. “Let’s do a pack run up to Bukhansan this weekend. Soo’s heat will be over by then. We can do a whole weekend in fur.”

Jongin had been watching them in amusement, munching away on the berries with delight, but at the mention of the trip, the little half-smile drops as he turns his full attention to Kyungsoo.

“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo starts, staring back, perplexed.

“Oh, that’d be so fun,” Tao claps his hands. “And when we get back, we can take Sehun to go watch that one movie.” His face scrunches up. “What’s it called?”

“Chogiwa,” Chanyeol intones.

“I’ve been wanting to see that!” Sehun adds.

Tao pets Kyungsoo’s hair again, undeterred by his attempts to flick the fingers away. “That sounds like a plan then. Doesn't that sound like fun, Kyungsoo? You in? We’ve missed you so much. Come back to us, _pleeease_.”

“We can invite Baby Kim,” whispers Chanyeol.

His face goes red immediately. Kyungsoo stares down at the wood grain. “Don’t try to make him feel obligated, please. He doesn’t need to see anymore of your shenanigans.” He heaves a weary sigh. “Yeah, we can go,” he says, glancing up again at Jongin to find him glaring at the table. What now. He just got roped into a pack run, movie night with the loudest people he knows, and now grumpy alpha has activated full grumpy alpha mode.

He nudges Jongin’s foot to get his attention, but the waiter arrives with their food, and everyone busies themselves with breakfast. Trying to be subtle, Kyungsoo rolls his fork around in his hand as he watches Jongin’s plate out of his periphery. The alpha cuts a small bite out of his pancakes and loads it onto his fork, but rests it on his plate, thumb brushing over the handle.

Curious, Kyungsoo looks up directly, just in time to see Jongin glare down at the bite and stuff it into his mouth, chewing unhappily. Their eyes meet, and he quickly looks away, embarrassed that he was caught feeling desperate. They’re in public. Of course, Jongin won’t go offering first bites or other flirty gestures, where people could confuse it for something more serious.

Jongin sighs as the fork scrapes through the plate again. Maybe it doesn’t taste that great. Kyungsoo shouldn’t feel the bit of glee at that, but he does. His pancakes are way better.

...And besides, _he’_ s supposed to be the poison taster.

 _“Niniiii,”_ someone shouts. Jongin looks up just as a man barrels into him, throwing his arms around the alpha and jostling him happily.

Kyungsoo watches with interest, forgetting all about his food. He doesn’t even realize he’s tensed up until the fork digs too hard into his hand, and he sets it down. The two talk, barely above a whisper, in excited chatter. Clearly, the man is a friend of Jongin’s. He keeps adjusting Jongin’s hair, tucking the stray strands behind his ear. They’re in their own little world as Kyungsoo seethes privately, fighting off the thought of slapping the newcomer’s hands off his mate.

Not his mate.

Not his.

The man pushes a finger into one of the hickies on Jongin’s neck, and they laugh together as Jongin covers it up shyly. Not once does he glance over toward Kyungsoo.

After a few more minutes, the man finally leaves, not even bothering to wave at the rest of the table. Jongin turns back to him, looking surprised. “What?”

No introductions or anything. He should not have expected any, but at the same time, is it not just basic manners? They’re all sitting together at the table, isn’t that just common courtesy?

Chanyeol and Sehun giggle over a joke that Tao must have told during this time, and one of them launches into another anecdote, mindless of the two staring at each other across the table.

Breaking the eye contact, Kyungsoo picks his fork back up and grumpily stabs at his own pancakes.


	11. Chapter 11

The irrational anger he felt at the restaurant had dissipated on the way home, stranding him with just his nerves and a strong urge to cling tighter. It's too early to be like this, to break down.

“ _Now_ ,” Kyungsoo urges, stripping out of his clothes and shoving Jongin's pants down as he leads them backwards, into his room. It's the closest, and he needs to smother out this desperate, needy feeling with some mind-numbing sex before it can catch fire and spread.

“Does it hurt?” Jongin asks, face full of concern as he follows. He strokes himself to hardness with one hand, the other thumbing Kyungsoo's cheekbone gently. “No fever… I thought last day would've been the easiest. We were basically fucking nonstop this morning, too.”

Yes, it hurts. It hurts a lot, and it doesn't matter that no one else noticed or cared that Jongin was too caught up in the conversation with his friend to acknowledge or introduce him, or that first bites are just for meaningless flirting in private and not at all for the real world to witness and misunderstand. It's not like he didn't know. He _knew_ , and even played along, and still he feels like such a fool. _Yes_ , it hurts.

His emotions are spiraling, and soon to be out of control if he can't distract himself. Jongin is finally hard enough and unable to press in. Kyungsoo's body is reverting back to normal, and no longer prioritizing mating over other biological functions, and it's frustrating and humiliating that he has to wait for Jongin to rip the little lube packet out of his ridiculous fanny pack.

“One sec, baby, sorry,” Jongin grunts, fumbling with the liquid as it spills out over his palm messily.

He rolls over and scrambles higher up the bed, onto his knees. “Now,” Kyungsoo whimpers again, flattening down so his face and chest are against the sheets.

The lube feels so foreign as Jongin slowly breaches. It's artificial and slick. He feels a flash of rage at the sensation, but bears it, even bumping his ass back to take all of Jongin, again and again. His body’s own lubrication will come soon enough. Without heat, it just won't go until he's properly worked up, and public meltdowns aren't exactly sexy. His head just isn't in the game yet.

Jongin takes over, slamming hard against his ass with each thrust. He growls as the stupid fanny pack gets jostled all over the place and yanks it off, tossing it over the bed. Pushing Kyungsoo onto his side, he crouches over him, fingertips guiding Kyungsoo's face to tilt enough so their lips can touch.

It's too soft, too tender. For a fleeting second of insanity, Kyungsoo almost bites down, to punish him, to mark him, but he comes to his senses before his teeth can make contact. Jongin is not his to claim. This is just for fun. This is just heat relief. If he somehow did something so catastrophically stupid like claiming his boss in a fit of jealousy, it wouldn't change anything. It'd only delay the inevitable, and make it so, so much worse. He'll get a couple of days where they might play house, and then the rutting hormones would finish fading, and logic would return, and he'd get replaced and likely fired as well. Mated, dumped, and unemployed, all in one fell swoop. Not to mention what that'd do to his reputation. How would he ever get work again, if rumors spread that he tries to seduce his bosses?

He's thinking too much. How was he so happy just a couple of hours ago?

“Bite, please, Jongin,” Kyungsoo sobs, feeling tears try to sting their way out of his eyes. At least this can't have more consequences, other than prolonging the time it takes for the claim marks all over his body to fade. “ _Please_!”

Jongin hurriedly breaks away to shift down to his neck. He leans down, and just as Kyungsoo tenses and anticipates the familiar pain, Jongin drops a soft, quiet kiss against his skin. He inhales, and then opens his mouth, leaning his weight down so it is more of a hold than bite. A hand gathers both of Kyungsoo's above his head, pinning them down at the wrists. A gesture of domination, demanding him to submit. Kyungsoo goes limp, tilting his chin higher so the alpha can sink in more comfortably. It helps.

“Knot me, Jongin, make me come,” he begs, repeating it over and over until the words blur together.

“How is it hurting this bad?” Jongin wonders aloud. He obeys, but his concern drags everything out longer than necessary. “Is it because we were out?”

Kyungsoo's hand wraps around the alpha's nape, pulling him back to his own throat. He's close. That's all he needs to focus on. His windpipe constricts from the pressure, so that the passage shrinks down to just a thin trickle of air, and he hurriedly tucks his hand back into Jongin's grasp, pinned back into place and gasping for each breath. There's no room for thought here.

Minutes later, Jongin groans loudly as he pushes them both over the edge. His teeth release, and he sucks down the column of Kyungsoo's neck lazily, moving so he can kiss Kyungsoo's lips as his cock continues to spill inside him.

The doorbell rings through the house, multiple times in rapid succession.

Jongin's fingers lace through his as the alpha deepens the kiss. Still high off his orgasm, it feels as if nothing has changed from this morning.

The doorbell rings again, this time accompanied by angry knocking.

He can feel a smirk on Jongin's lips, and opens his eyes to confirm.

Jongin grins and sighs softly as he pushes a wet lock of hair off of Kyungsoo's forehead, “I think I might be—”

“Fuck!” Kyungsoo yelps, scrambling to his feet in panic. Jongin's knot is still pulsing away inside him, however, and he only gets as far as his upper body can stretch. He claws at the sheets. “My Iberico!”

“Your _what_?”

The doorbell has stopped ringing. _Fuckfuckfuck_. His hand lands in a puddle of his own cum in his haste. “We gotta get to the door!” he exclaims, “My Iberico is here!”

Bewildered and still reeling, Jongin somehow manages to lug both of them up and waddle together to the front door, pulling a tee over Kyungsoo’s head right before he opens it. The delivery woman had just turned her back to walk away.

“H-hi,” Kyungsoo wheezes loudly, leaning to keep his bare lower half behind the door.

She gives him an annoyed sneer, but says nothing, dropping the packages to the ground and pulling the machine from her waist pocket for him to sign.

“Wait,” Kyungsoo says, looking down. There is a smaller box above his. “Is that one mine too?”

“Yep,” the woman answers sullenly.

Jongin rubs circles into his lower back, counterbalancing by leaning the opposite direction. While grateful, Kyungsoo gives him a little kick to stop. They can’t get caught being stuck together by some delivery woman. He signs quickly, giving the device back to the woman, grateful that she’s eager to leave. There’s no way he can pick the boxes up without exposing himself.

“Let me,” Jongin whispers.

Stubbornly, Kyungsoo drags the boxes until they manage to at least cross the threshold, and then glances around quickly to check the perimeter, before stepping forth and pulling it in the rest of the way, slamming the door shut. The small package is definitely addressed to him. It makes no sense. All of his personal stuff gets sent to his mom’s house.

“So what is Ibico?”

“Iberico,” Kyungsoo corrects, finally letting Jongin pick the boxes up so they can waddle to the kitchen together. “Iberico pork. I knew it was coming today, but I just… forgot.” Box safely on the counter, he studies it for a long moment before deciding to go back to the bedroom. As much as it needs to be unpacked, it’ll take _way_ longer to do so if they’re still joined. Not to mention that it’d just be unhygienic.

He tests the knot, willing his body to relax. Soon, but not now. Leaning against the mattress, Kyungsoo frowns in annoyance. He should’ve at least brought the small package with him to see what it was, or who sent it, at least.

“Oh, that’s weird,” Jongin remarks.

“What?”

Jongin lifts him slightly, and then he can feel it too, cum sloshing around inside him. Ew. It’s normally not that noticeable, because they can just bask lazily until they’re freed, but this… this is gross.

“Ew.”

Jongin snickers, “It’s kinda cool.”

He almost threatens to demand Jongin wear condoms from here on out, but it was pretty obvious that his heat is over. There _is_ no here on out. The reminder sinks into his stomach, weighing him down.

“You feeling better, babe?” Jongin asks, leaning his cheek against the back of Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

The little pet name burns. It will be going away so soon. “Yes, alpha,” Kyungsoo answers, saccharine sweet, trying to play it off with a smirk he doesn’t quite feel. Luckily, Jongin dozes off after a few more minutes of silence, and he doesn’t have to bother with conversation. Kyungsoo manages to pull off and rush to the shower to clean up, dressing hastily and racing for the kitchen.

Iberico pork is one of those things he’s always wanted to experiment with. Just seeing the box brightens his mood up considerably. He’s practically dancing as he cuts the package open. It’s not even about tasting it, it’s just one of the more ungodly expensive curiosities in the culinary world that he never thought he’d get to see. Quickly, he unboxes the pork, unwrapping one of the pieces to examine it. It looks _beautiful_ , the fat swirling with the dark meat in beautiful marble patterns. It smells even better. Allowing himself another twenty seconds of ogling, he sighs and folds the butcher paper closed, heaving the remaining parcels into the refrigerator. Meal planning is going to be so fun.

The smaller box beckons him. It’s long and skinny, and has a heft to it. Turning it around in his hands, he locates the sender’s information. It’s just some warehouse. That tells him nothing.

The contents of the box are wrapped in an invoice. It has some sort of inventory number and a gift note:

_I worked really hard to find this. Love, Daddy_

Confused, he finally rolls the plastic off of the inside box, and freezes. Not that he’s super familiar with this, but it’s _easily_ recognizable if you spend even just a couple of hours window shopping online. Shakily, he unwraps the clear film and opens the lid.

There’s no way his father bought him this.

“So do you like it?”

Kyungsoo spins around so fast, he nearly bumps into Jongin, who has gotten his sweats back on, and is peering over at the box.

“ _Daddy_ ,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, finally getting it.

“Mm,” Jongin grins, “that sounds nice.”

“Not what I meant,” Kyungsoo snaps, turning around anxiously. He pulls the knife out of its molded packaging and brings it closer for inspection. A Burūbea chef’s knife, two hundred millimeters of hand-forged, VG10 high carbon stainless steel crafted into over a hundred layers of damascus by Seki swordmiths, gleaming in its wickedly sharp perfection. Oh gosh, it's so pretty.

Jongin wraps his hands around Kyungsoo’s waist, planting his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“What is this for,” Kyungsoo asks in awe.

“You better like it. It took me forever to find it, and I had to answer like thirty questions to narrow down the choices. Like, they were asking what kind of food you cut and if you handle fish? Or like a lot of meat? Or bones? It was so hard. It would’ve come earlier too, but there was some weather delay thing.”

“I can’t accept this,” Kyungsoo says. “It’s insanely expensive.”

“I’m insanely rich,” Jongin brags, before reconsidering. “I mean, not _insanely_ , but… your old knife looked really sad.”

“I don’t need a new knife,” he tries feebly. He’s already in love with this, but there’s no way he can just take this. He knows just how much they cost.

Jongin huffs, “You do. I got you some fancy sharpening service thing too. They’ll be by once a month to take care of it. But if you don’t like it…”

He feels so greedy, stroking the handle. How Jongin managed to find this specific one is beyond him when the alpha knows precisely jack shit about cookware. “Why did you get this,” Kyungsoo asks.

Teeth graze his nape before Jongin licks at the skin instead. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s so you can make me even tastier food,” he answers.

“That’s a stupid reason,” Kyungsoo whispers, feeling a small smile tug at his lips.

“Probably.”

—

On one hand, it’s good to feel normal again. Not having to worry about being wet all day long, or constantly thinking about sex, or having to deal with the cleanup. On the other, he’s very, very tempted to go buy a bottle of lube, empty it into his ass, and pretend that some fluke has happened, and his heat will just continue… indefinitely.

Except it doesn’t work that way. He caught his reflection in a mirror earlier. The heat glow is gone. Jongin’s claim marks are still there, however, and will remain so for at least a few weeks, probably for the next month even, given how dangerously close they’ve come. But Kyungsoo didn’t reciprocate, so they will definitely fade away. The little hickies won’t even last another day.

Jongin seems oblivious to it all. He’s not sure how. It’s not like the alpha can’t tell when a heat is over. But he still lingers, even hovering around the kitchen and pestering him as Kyungsoo gets them through lunch. Once again, he offers the first bite, not waiting and feeding it directly into Kyungsoo’s mouth.

Except Kyungsoo isn’t in the mood to play anymore. He’s busy worrying about the impending separation. It annoys Jongin, not getting a first bite offered in return, but Kyungsoo is too weighed down by his thoughts to care.

Dinner preparation goes a lot easier once Chanyeol calls. Kyungsoo stalls and keeps him on the phone, so that eventually Jongin has to give up and stalk off to the balcony. He doesn’t even remember what they talked about. Something about Bukhansan, no doubt. Chanyeol has a way with obsessing.

It speaks volumes that not even pan-seared Iberico pork secreto, not even his beautiful new Burūbea can brighten his mood. Coming down from heats is always rough, but it’s never felt this difficult before. Not even his first one, where he was absolutely convinced Yifan was The One, did it feel like this.

Drizzling the white wine mustard sauce over the meat and tidying up the delicate pickles, Kyungsoo brings the plates to the dining table, where Jongin is already seated. He can’t go through another performance. Purposefully, he sits in the chair opposite of the alpha instead of his usual one next to him. Or rather, his old usual one.

There’s a pout on Jongin’s lips as his brows furrow in confusion at Kyungsoo’s choice. He looks like he wants to ask, but Kyungsoo beats him to the punch.

“Thank you, by the way,” he blurts out, before temptation can win out. “For… helping me with my heat.” Kyungsoo picks up his fork, focusing entirely on the plate before him. He pokes at the food, letting his thoughts carry forth, wondering if he’d be feeling this way if it was Bodyguard Oh sitting on the other end.

After a moment, he notices how silent the room is. No fork clanking against porcelain from the other end of the table. Finally, he chances a look up at Jongin to see stormy eyes watching him.

“So your heat is over then?” Jongin asks, his voice low.

Kyungsoo bites his lip. No more Jongin, he corrects himself internally. He’ll have to go back to Mr. Kim tomorrow. As much as he felt like he was dying inside each time he’s said it, and really, he’d only said it maybe a dozen times total, he had… somehow gotten used to calling him Jongin. “Yeah,” he confirms.

“And you’re feeling better now?”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo says, resisting the urge to tap his fork on the plate out nervously. “With the heat over, I can work through everything pretty easily.”

Jongin nods, takes a breath, and then pushes his seat back, standing up quickly, “Cool. I’ve lost my appetite. Good night.” And then he’s gone, stormed off to his room, leaving Kyungsoo alone and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy.


	12. Chapter 12

The sunflowers had to be tossed, the cleaning lady explained in exasperation to him the next morning as she stood over the trash can overflowing with broken stems and wilted petals. Neglected, they went the way of Sehun's roses rather quickly. It's his own damn fault, of course, too preoccupied with his heat to pay attention to anything else, but Kyungsoo can't help but wallow in self-pity at the sight.

He had packed two dinner portions for Tao to pick up last night, to the beta’s delight. His friend is used to him being mopey after heats, and tried his best to cheer Kyungsoo up, but eventually had to head off to work, promising to be by for their morning pack walk. It should've given him some comfort. It didn't.

Maybe it's because he's spent the past few days cuddling up against Jongin every night. He's gotten used to spooning with someone else, being held and doted upon. Insomnia hits him hard. His mind spends the dark hours racing through this past week, overanalyzing every interaction, every stupid move. There were so, so many stupid moves.

Mr. Kim was the worst choice for heat relief. What was he thinking? Kyungsoo's had a minor crush on him since day one, despite knowing exactly what kind of person he is. The man is dangerous: impulsive, childish, and spoiled. It had been harmless enough to admire his handsomeness from afar, but entangling to this degree was just inviting trouble.

Pack walk leaves him feeling even more sullen than the restless night did. It shouldn't matter at all what Sehun does, but for some reason, Kyungsoo winds up feeling salty that the alpha is more willing to chat with his friends than to pay any attention to his grumpy self. Not that Bodyguard Oh was rude in any way, he was just half expecting to be appeased by a few compliments or something. To substitute for the alpha whose affections he’s currently lacking. It’s unfair and unkind, but he’s moody and it was just another thing that piled up on a crappy post-heat day.

Jongin had missed out—they had  _ both _ missed out—on the Iberico pork last night, so for breakfast, Kyungsoo cooks up the dark ham as the star of the meal. The few minutes with his new knife and enjoying the smells of the food cooking manage to bring him a little happiness, despite the dead sunflowers in the trash bin. He even finishes the plates with a lovely flourish, admiring the symmetry of the meal.

And then Jongin doesn't bother answering the door when he knocks.

It is as if nothing had ever happened. Grumpy Mr. Kim holed up in his room the entire day before reluctantly slogging his way into the kitchen for some quick sustenance and retreating back to his lair. Just like he had promised. Only this time, he doesn't even bother to greet Kyungsoo or exchange pleasantries to anyone else for that matter.

“Where is your plate?” Jongin finally speaks, when he shows up for dinner with his hair sticking out in every direction, his pants wrinkled, face unwashed, looking over the rest of the empty table. It's the first time he's said anything to Kyungsoo all damn day.

“Didn't know if you'd want me to eat with you or not,” Kyungsoo tries not to put too much snap into his sentence, but he hears it come out anyway. He's cooked two beautiful meals today only for them to go to waste, unseen and unappreciated.

Shrugging nonchalantly, the alpha hunches over his plate and starts shoveling food into his mouth.

He knows Jongin is watching, but Kyungsoo rolls his eyes anyway before sighing and piling a plate for himself. He stalks off for his own room, barely tasting the food and washing the dish in his bathroom sink.

Why are they even fighting…

Exhaustion helps, at least. He manages to fall asleep shortly after Tao comes by for his midnight pickup, but wakes up a couple of hours later, feeling as if someone was on the other side of the door. While he sits up in bed and listens carefully for any signs of life, he’s seen way too many scary movies to bother checking. Instead, he convinces himself that the three minutes of silence is proof enough that he just imagined it, and burritos himself in the blankets.

—

Nothing changes over the next couple of days. Mr. Kim really has just gone right back to the way things were before, staying in his room and only coming out briefly for food, scowling at anyone who dares to make eye contact.

“Are you still heading to Bukhansan in the morning?” Tonight, the alpha has been rather uncharacteristic, showing up for dinner earlier, and leaning against the counter to watch Kyungsoo set his plate on the dining table and pack the other one for Kyungsoo to take to his room. He hasn’t bothered to invite Kyungsoo to join him again either, although Kyungsoo guesses that fits both of them just fine. It’s awkward, he gets it.

“In a little bit, actually,” Kyungsoo mumbles, eyeing him warily. This has been the most they’ve said to each other since Jongin stormed off the first night. His mouth opens, but he manages to clamp down before he starts rambling. Is this just a casual question, or would Jongin even want to know more details? But the alpha is watching him, body turned to face his. He’s listening, then? “Tao got tonight off,” he continues. “That’s the beta you met the other day—”

“I remember which one’s which.”

Kyungsoo clenches and unclenches his fists. The nerves he always felt when talking to Mr. Kim are back, it seems. Why should he feel nervous? “I know you usually just order takeout on the weekends, but I made a couple of meals just in case. They’re all in the fridge. I wrote directions for heating them up on each one.” Hopefully, that didn’t come out sounding desperate. It’s not unusual for him to prep extra food for the weekends. It’s not routine either, though.

Jongin shifts his gaze to the counter, tracing the veins of the granite with his fingertip in silence for nearly a minute before looking back up. He frowns and crosses his arms.

Really, Kyungsoo shouldn’t get so easily distracted, but it’s this pose that really shows off Jongin’s body, especially since he still goes around wearing just pajama bottoms. For a fleeting moment, he almost takes a step forward. Must touch the pretty man.

“Have a safe trip,” Jongin mutters, sighing afterward and combing through his greasy hair with his fingers as he slumps into his seat.

Kyungsoo watches for nearly a minute as the alpha eats with the same enthusiasm of a soldier eating his third bowl of tasteless gruel for the day. It’s rage-inducing. All of the sweet words that were given even before Kyungsoo’s heat must have run out, it seems.

—

It’s a very long trip to Bukhansan. Tao picks him up around midnight and together, they head to Chanyeol’s house, where they have to wait for the big oaf to finish scheduling his pupstagram posts before they’re able to leave. They then head out on foot, in human skin, to the 7-Eleven along the Han River. It is a dark night, dreary and wet. There, they get fill up on snacks and hydrate, before running to the back, shedding their clothes, and shifting.

Kyungsoo rarely shifts. It’s an awkward, sometimes painful, always uncomfortable process. He always takes the longest. The last joint pops into place, and he wheezes in relief, slumping down on the asphalt as he catches his breath. The world floods his nostrils. His senses are all way more heightened in this form. Piss. Someone’s peed on the ground right where he is laying, possibly a day or two ago. It’s dry now, but the vagrant’s piss scent will cling to his fur for at least a few hours.

_ Splendid. _

Forcing himself to his feet, he gets instantly knocked over by Chanyeol barreling into his side with a happy yip. The other two love this. He swears, if they didn’t have obligations and bills, the other two would’ve gone off to live feral in the mountains, forgetting they were ever human.

They have to round back toward the bridge, taking care to avoid traffic. Humans are used to werewolves, but seeing oversized wolves just strutting through the streets of Seoul still upset quite a few. Getting through Yongsan-gu is relatively easy. Jongno-gu, not as much. Wolf-Tao and Wolf-Chanyeol have a thing for lurking around the palaces, and Kyungsoo, wolf or otherwise, is never in the mood to just wander aimlessly. They’re on a mission, damnit. He didn’t nap prior to them leaving, and it’s been a couple of hours. He’s grumpy.

The sun starts to rise just as they reach the foot of the mountain. The other two are antsy, and it is infectious. The sight of something other than cityscape stirs something inside him. He can run and run, and forget about everything, at least for a little while.

The weekend blurs. The wolf form has a strange way of imprinting memories. The focus is more on senses and streams of consciousness. He remembers rain and foggy mornings and slumping onto the others at night for warmth. It’s exhilarating. Freeing. He almost doesn’t want to leave. Here, the air is so clear, full of delightful smells and clean aside from when they venture near a hiking route.

Tao decides to lead them down the mountain on Sunday night. It is for the best. Sunday night traffic is nothing compared to Monday morning, and they have jobs they must return to. Seoul at night is so bright and noisy and stinky compared to Bukhansan. Already, he regrets leaving.

Several hours later, they are back behind the convenience store, Kyungsoo groaning as his bones reshape and his fur melts away. Shifting back to human form always hurts less, at least.

“Here, Soo,” Chanyeol pats him on the back comfortingly as he holds Kyungsoo’s clothes out. “Breathe.”

“I’ll get food,” Tao says, beaming at them and pushing Kyungsoo’s sweaty hair out of his forehead before jogging into the store.

They’re all caked in dirt and grime. The layer of sweat makes it even worse. He’s got dried up blood in his fingernails, no doubt around his mouth as well. Ugh. Tao likes to hunt. He can’t recall if he’s participated, but Kyungsoo knows he definitely recalls eating meat on several occasions this weekend. He’ll have to schedule an appointment to get checked for parasites now. And force the other two to do the same.

Peachy.

The weekend was good for him, he’ll have to admit. Tao clings to him as they walk to Chanyeol’s house to shower up and change into clean clothes, and they all gather around in the kitchen as Chanyeol’s mother prepares another small dinner for them. Hot food… Kyungsoo chews happily, blissfully, beaming from ear to ear as Chanyeol’s mother ladles more food into his bowl.

They compare memories of the weekend, collapsing in a fit of giggles on multiple occasions. He feels so light, and closer to his pack than he has in weeks.

Tao drops him off at the Kim residence an hour later. It feels strange, standing on this side of the door, remembering everything he’s about to step back into. Maybe the weekend has been good to Mr. Kim as well.

The noises throw him off before his nose detects the multiple smells. Curious, Kyungsoo follows the trail into the living room, where a character is screaming dramatically on the tv. Curled up on the couch is Jongin on one side, a small child snuggled on each arm, and Bodyguard Oh sitting on the other, snuggling with Vivi.

Jongin lifts his head and turns, despite Kyungsoo’s attempt at silence. His eyes widen, and the alpha carefully moves the kids so he can get up, rearranging them on the couch.

“Hey Kyungsoo,” Sehun greets, just as Jongin approaches him. He walks toward them as well, scrubbing his eyes sleepily. “I didn’t know if you guys would be home tonight, or if you wouldn’t get in until tomorrow morning. We doing the market tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo confirms, looking between the two of them in confusion.

“Cool, I’m gonna text Tao. I’ll see you in the morning,” Sehun says before a huge yawn silences him and he walks away toward his room with a wave to each of them, his dog trailing behind him.

That leaves just one alpha left.

“Hi,” Jongin says.

“Hi,” Kyungsoo echoes, glancing quickly over to the kids and back.

“My niece and nephew,” the alpha smiles proudly over at their sleeping bodies. “They're Junmyeon’s kids. The one who hired you?”

“Oh. I remember.”

“I, ah, volunteered to babysit them for the weekend,” Jongin explains, scratching the back of his neck and avoiding meeting Kyungsoo's gaze. 

“...With Sehun?” He had to ask. This is some bizarro world to come back to.

Jongin laughs, “No, they were really interested in his dog, so they invited him to watch a movie with us.”

“That sounds fun.” That would've been nice, spending the weekend sneaking glances at Jongin playing with his niece and nephew. It would've been painful too, but just the quick glimpse he got of them cuddling on the couch was adorable. “What do you think they'll want for breakfast?”

“Oh!” Jongin's eyes widen, as if remembering something. He sucks his lower lip into his mouth and chews on it briefly. “Um. No, their mom will be by early in the morning to pick them up. I think they have breakfast plans, actually. So you don't need to worry about them.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Yeah…” Jongin rubs his nape again, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I, uh, need… So… for tomorrow, can you prepare dinner for two, please?”

“Sure?” Kyungsoo says, confused. Is this an invitation? “I mean, there's always extra.”

Jongin licks over his lip again. “No, like set the table for two.” He pauses, finally looking Kyungsoo in the eye. “I have a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I haven't answered comments (ESPECIALLY on AFF, super sorry, I'm like 3 chapters behind omg!) but I'll answer them before posting the next chapter of anything. I **think** pornstar au is going to be updated next. And no, there's no Sekai plot twist. But don't worry, Sehun's fine, and will be extra fine. Kaisoo? Oh, I don't know...


	13. Chapter 13

“Oh.”

What else is there to say. Mr. Kim opened his mouth, ready to unleash some other tornado or natural disaster, but Kyungsoo needed to get back to his room as quick as humanly possible. He needed air. He can't recall if he even made a good excuse for his exit. He doesn't care much at the moment.

Date. A date. And  _ he’s  _ expected to cook for them? Jongin is expecting him to prepare a meal and watch him flirt and feed first bites and seduce somebody else right before his eyes? This is how people get poisoned.

The night passes in yet another sleepless blur.

He bails on pack walk. His friends protest and even send Sehun by his room to knock and confirm, confused as to what could've ruined his mood after such a delightful weekend.

How could Jongin move on to someone else so quickly? Was he not affected at all? Even just from a hormonal standpoint, how can he try to claim someone and then just jump in bed with another before the marks can even fade? Would it have happened even sooner, had Kyungsoo not given him those hickeys? Those are long gone now, as if they never happened.

In a daze, Kyungsoo moves through the kitchen, pulling ingredients from the refrigerator, cooking mindlessly. Gyeranmari, some leftover ham, and whatever banchan he can find, all too bright for his mood. There's no rice. Rice is an hour away and way more effort than Kyungsoo is able to give right now. In a true act of desperation, he raids the pantry, ferreting out his secret stash of instant ramyeon. Today calls for overdosing on monosodium glutamate and trans fats.

Watching the noodles boil, he remembers the disaster that Jongin had tried to cook for him, floating ketchup curdles and uneven garlic chunks in lukewarm water.

Twin tears track down his cheeks. He wipes them away angrily, upset at himself.

This is not love, he tells himself as he plants his butt at the dining table, foot propped on the edge of the seat. It can't be heartbreak. This feeling of abandonment is hormones mixed with a weak crush, exacerbated by being in too close of proximity to his heat partner, who has decided he's no longer worth attention.

Kyungsoo curls up in the chair, hiding his face in his forearms, soaking his shirt. Not even MSG can make today better.

He had known it would be like this. Maybe not the specifics, but he knew coming down from this heat would be rough. There was just too much. It felt… too real.

A heat is not a relationship. He should not feel this way. Angry or annoyed, yes. Hurt, no.

He entertains the idea of not even bothering to cook today. It's not as if Mr. Kim will even notice. But even though the petty thought sounds attractive, it doesn't sit well with him. This is his job. It doesn't matter how he feels about it.

He doesn't deliver breakfast, however. He lets the meal get cold at the dining table for precisely thirty minutes before packing everything up. Lunch goes the same way.

No alpha.

He wanders around a convenience store for an hour or so. Anything to avoid seeing Jongin when he no doubt slinks out to loot for snacks. Walking on foot helps to prolong his time outside of the house. People give him a wide berth. That suits him just fine.

In fact, he barely gets back in time to prep for dinner. Someone shouts just as he opens the front door, and Kyungsoo turns in bewilderment to find a man jogging toward him.

The man laughs as he reached Kyungsoo, clapping him on the shoulder as if they were friends. “Ahh! So nervous!” he exclaims. He smells like wolf. Omega too, if Kyungsoo were to guess. Pretty, taller, dressed in designer clothing and wearing enough makeup to create an intense look over his boyish face. There's something familiar about him.

“Can I help you?” Kyungsoo asks politely.

“Oh, sorry!” the man steps back, grinning up at the house, clearly impressed. “I’m Cho Kyuhyun. I have a date here tonight. I think I've seen you here before. You work for Jonginnie, right?”

Supposedly, it is only alphas who can give off warning pheromones, but suddenly, Kyuhyun takes a quick, small step back and scrunches up his nose. Or maybe Kyungsoo looks nauseous, and he doesn't want to chance getting his nice outfit soiled. It doesn't matter.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo answers flatly, pushing the door open and gesturing for him to go in.

“It's so quiet in here,” Kyuhyun remarks.

This is the guy Jongin was trying to hook up with, the night of the failed party. This is the guy who was sexting with Jongin, which led to Kyungsoo getting that video in the first place. He's done with Kyungsoo, so now he's going to pick up right where he left off with this one.

Kyungsoo drags his feet toward Jongin's bedroom. He stands before it for half a minute, calming his breath and finally knocking.

It takes a moment for the door to open. Jongin pushes his hair out of his forehead and looks at him with bloodshot eyes. “Hey,” he rasps softly, breath sour.

“Your date is here, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo informs him in a clipped tone. It's the best he can give at present.

Jongin doesn't really respond. He scratches over his beard and yawns, leaning heavily against the doorframe. “Shit,” he grunts. “I— What time… Okay.”

“ _ Okay _ ?”

Jongin has the audacity to look annoyed and flap his hand in the air. “Just ignore him. I… gotta shower and shave, I guess.”

“You never bothered shaving for me.” The words leave Kyungsoo's mouth before he can register them. He's horrified, but it's too late now. At least it comes out with some bite, and not like some sniveling, pathetic plea.

“What—”

“We never dated though, I guess.” The words lose a lot of heat this time around, sounding more defeated with each syllable. That's all the fight he had in him, it seems.

Jongin's sleepy eyes sharpen as they turn back to his. “I tried to ask you out a fuckton of times. You kept telling me no. Don't get bitchy at me when it's you who didn't want anything.”

The alpha shuts the door, and Kyungsoo can hear him storming off behind it. He stands there, motionless, vision blurring the wood grain lines in front of him. It takes a lot of effort to blink the tears away, to keep them from spilling over, but he manages through sheer will.  _ Asshole. _ Asshole and his bullshit defenses.

The quicker he can get this over with, the better. Kyungsoo dumps another heap of minced garlic into the butter. There's enough in here to shield all of Seoul against a hoard of hungry vampires. Enjoy the heartburn and bad breath, douches. He hulls the basket of strawberries and dumps them into a big bowl. Who knows, Mr. Kim probably won't even remember. Or maybe he just recycles all of his greasy pickup lines.

His replacement is hovering. As tempted as Kyungsoo is to tell him to fuck off, basic manners keeps him sullenly silent.

“That smells  _ so _ good,” Kyuhyun moans, looming a couple of steps away. He's been told off a couple of times already on the pretense that he could catch some hot oil to his pretty face. Accidentally, of course. “I  _ looove _ fettuccine alfredo. Oh my gosh, it's such a shame I can't have any.”

It's a weird enough sentence to pique his interest. Kyungsoo glances back at him. “Why? Dietary restriction?” Please be lactose intolerant and eat an entire plateful. Garlic farts are sure to thrill Mr. Kim.

Kyuhyun elbows him playfully, taking his question as an invitation for conversation. “I mean, do I want tasty carbs, or do I want to get laid tonight, am I right?”

_ No… _

Ignorant of how close Kyungsoo is to knocking him unconscious with a hot frying pan, Kyuhyun sidles up even closer. “So I can totally smell it,” he says, “so don't even deny. But you've hooked up with him before, clearly. Do I need to know anything? Help a fellow omega out.”

No, no, no…

“Move, please,” Kyungsoo drones. “The pasta is ready.”

This is the sloppiest he's plated, but it's probably passable. He finishes setting the table just as Jongin finally gets out of his room, freshly shaven, hair washed, dried, and tousled. He's in a taupe dress shirt and high waisted gray slacks, a sharp contrast to his usual, wrinkled lounge pants.

No, he will not witness the flirting and first bites and seduction. Cleanup can wait.

He nearly barrels into Jongin once he's finished getting dressed and walks out of his bedroom. The alpha doesn't step back to make space. They're standing too close. Kyungsoo relents, inching back and glaring up at him.

“I'll clean up when I get back,” Kyungsoo snaps.

“You’re still going with Sehun,” Jongin says, framing the question like an accusation.

“I'm going to the movies with my  _ friends _ ,” Kyungsoo corrects acidly, sidestepping out of the room and shutting his door behind him. Jongin's going to try and compare them? He thinks not. “Enjoy your date.”

—

He sits on the end of the row, next to Chanyeol. Sehun sits on Chanyeol’s other side, with Tao next to him, sharing popcorn. The audience for Chogiwa is packed and hyped, cheering loudly at each action sequence.

He doesn't remember any of it.

He just wants to go home, to sleep, to mope in private.

They're probably fucking on the kitchen counters, to spite him. He'll have to bleach the entire kitchen. Or maybe they went up to the balcony. Maybe that's where Mr. Kim brings all of his soon-to-be conquests. Or maybe he's got his fist up Kyuhyun’s ass, smug that his claim that he's never done it to anyone else before has managed to snare another sucker.

Or maybe he had roses delivered after Kyungsoo left. Maybe they're dancing in the moonlight. Maybe Jongin is falling in love as Kyungsoo watches another mindless explosion go off on-screen.

“Hey,” Chanyeol whispers, gripping his forearm, concerned. “Soo, hey… Do you need to step out? I'll go with you.”

Shame burns through his thoughts, and Kyungsoo hastily tries to act casual as he wipes his tears away. He shakes his head, sniffling as quietly as he can.

“Is this about Baby Kim?” Chanyeol presses.

“No,” he whimpers pathetically. It coincides with another explosion on-screen, and the audience cheers, drowning out another sniffle.

Chanyeol throws an arm over his shoulders, massaging comfortingly. “It's probably harder when you have to see him everyday, huh?” he whispers, pressing his face into Kyungsoo's hair and inhaling. It's meant to be reassuring, but Kyungsoo would rather not have any contact with anyone right now. “It's just the heat. It'll fade soon. I'm sorry, Soo. We’ll be sure hang out a lot more this week until it's over. We’ll take care of you. I promise.”

At least his friend doesn't try to press. He doesn't know if he has the energy or desire to explain that this felt different from other heats. That coming down from it has been way harsher than any other heat.

As he and Sehun head back, each heading to their respective rooms, he has a moment of dread. What if he walks in on them? What if Jongin timed it so he'd catch them in the act? He had been willing to do similar exhibitionist acts at the market.

The house is silent, however. There is nothing unusual in the air, apart from Kyuhyun's weak scent mingling with the rest of the household. Kyungsoo pads silently down the dark hallway, coming to a stop at his room. He should go clean the kitchen. He just can't bring himself to go there. Surely, it can take the night unattended. He can wake up early and deal with it then. The thought of dealing with their dirty dishes right now is nauseating.

His mind made up, he barely sets one hand on the door knob when he senses someone behind him. Kyungsoo manages to yip in surprise and turn around in time to be pushed against the door as it swings open. He stumbles, trying to catch his footing, bracing against the taller figure.

Blood red eyes stare back at him, a breath away as arms bracket either side of his head. The eyes vanish as Jongin dips down, sniffing intently down his neck. His right hand drops, resting against Kyungsoo's waist as he continues his investigation.

“What are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks, his voice sounding too loud in the quiet night.

The eyes dim, satisfied. Jongin's fingers begin kneading into his skin. “I…”

He waits for an answer, but the seconds pass, and Jongin only brings his other hand to Kyungsoo's waist, stroking in soft circles.

He can smell arousal radiating off the alpha. It tingles down his entire body, making his hair stand on end. He would be fine with it, if Jongin were to push them further into the room, if he shut the door, and they just go back, for a little bit.

“I sent him home,” Jongin finally whispers, nuzzling against his temple.

Him? Who… Oh.

The day rushes back to him.

“That must have been disappointing. I think he was expecting breakfast in bed.”

Jongin tenses and pulls back slightly. “Nothing happened. I didn't do anything with him.”

Does he believe this? “He was very willing to.”

“I know.”

It's too quiet. He is so drained. He just wants to curl up and sleep. “Why are you telling me this?” Kyungsoo asks softly.

Jongin hesitates. “I wanted you to know.”

“Why.”

The fingers slip from his waist as Jongin lets out an exasperated sigh. He wants to cling, bring the hands back, shut the door. Instead, Kyungsoo watches as the alpha takes another step back, swivels, and heads straight for his own room.

“Hey!” Kyungsoo calls out after him. He hangs off the side of the doorframe, ducking his head into the hallway. “Hey!”

The slam of the door echoes through the empty house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I posted this on Twitter, but I'm going to repost here. The story is told from Soo's POV, so all you can get from Jongin are inferences. You don't see his actual thoughts and feelings explicitly. To me, this is as realistic of a reaction as I believe he could get. He wanted Soo, saw an in with his heat, and went for it. And then the boy went and caught some feelings, only for Soo to constantly say no to everything, make plans as if he doesn't exist, and then just be like “thanks for the dicking, bro”. And then the next day, as far as he can tell, soo is just like “Yikes, if you're gonna be a drama queen about it, you can eat by yourself.” That's pretty devastating for even the most resilient people, and Jongin's character here is just some spoiled rich kid who's pretty used to getting his way. He's been dealing with what he sees as rejection after rejection, he wants to just move on and get over it already. It's rational.
> 
> Fun fact, I wrote ALL of this on my phone in a hospital waiting room this morning, so please pardon the mess. I hope you actually got to the end of this chapter! Hurts a little less, I hope? That's it though, that's the worst of it. It might sting a bit, but the worst of the angst has passed. You made it. I hope it made sense. Let me know? Anyway, pornstar  
> au for real now. I just didn't want yall to suffer too much. <3


	14. Chapter 14

_ Hey i was talking to you!!!! _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ that’s new _

_ wtf does that mean _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ so i just realized something really unfair and i need you to rectify it _

_ …………?? _

_ what are you talking about _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ you have a video of my dick and i have nothing of you _

_ And _

_ what do you expect me to do about it _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ obviously, i mean i want a picture of your ass _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ knotted _

_ why would i do that _

_ no _

_ Are you crazy? _

_ wait is rectify supposed to be a butt joke???????? _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ did you delete the video? _

_ Fine i’ll delete it _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ no, that’s not what i meant _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ the point is you have it _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ and i have nothing _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ so that’s not fair _

_ ok so the next time i sleep with anybody, i’ll be sure to record it and send it your way, is that better? _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ how is that better _

_ it's not like that video was for me originally _

He needs to rename Jongin in his contacts to something more appropriate, but right now he's still seething too much to prioritize something like that. Jongin didn't bother continuing the conversation after that last text, after he ran off last night. 

After he pinned Kyungsoo against his own damn door and had the gall to check if he'd been messing around with Sehun at the cinema. After  _ his _ date.

Fueled by rage, Kyungsoo hurriedly loads breakfast onto the tray and marches straight for the alpha’s bedroom. He bangs on it until his knuckles ache. He could’ve sworn he heard the alpha toddling around in there earlier, and if not, then he’s getting up now, goddammit.

The door swings open, creating a brief whirlwind with its speed. “ _ What,” _ Jongin snarls. He stands fully naked, the sheets trailing along on the ground behind him.

The distraction works. Kyungsoo’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as he takes in Jongin’s nude body. His anger slips away in his shock. He can’t even recall what he was so heated about.

Jongin picks at the corner of his eye sleepily and glares at him as he steps aside to allow Kyungsoo to enter, “What is it?”

Don’t look at the morning boner. Again. Focus. Don’t look anywhere at all other than Jongin’s face. Kyungsoo straightens his spine and squares his shoulders, stepping in enough to see the messy sheets. Everything looks like it did a week ago, when it was their raunchy playground. “What was last night about?”

“What do you mean?”

Kyungsoo gives his best glare, “So is that your go-to? Whenever you can’t hook up with that guy, you try to go to me?”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, the connection clicks. It hurts to consider that  _ he’s _ been the substitute this whole time. Unconsciously, his hand crosses his chest, dipping under the high collar of his uniform to feel along the indentation of one of the claim marks on his neck. He realizes a moment too late that Jongin can see this too and freezes, looking back up, embarrassed.

After a pause, Jongin reaches forward and covers Kyungsoo’s hand with his own, a finger nudges the collar aside so he can get a better view of the bite. The touch is too fond, too soft. It only lasts for a few seconds before he pulls away, letting his hand fall to his side.

It’s too quiet.

“...Why did you send him home,” Kyungsoo mumbles, tilting his head to focus on a spot in the wall. He regrets asking immediately. What right does he have to question? He’s not even an ex.

Jongin studies him for a long time before answering, “I didn’t want him.”

That’s not the response he was expecting. Not that he was even expecting anything in particular, but it strikes him mute for nearly a minute while he is still reeling over the brief contact. He opens his mouth, but they both turn as a new scent registers in his nostrils. A split second later, he hears the front door of the house click shut.

He recognizes the man immediately. This was the one who interviewed and hired him: Kim Junmyeon, Jongin’s second oldest brother. He looks pissed, scowling as he approaches them in his three-piece navy suit. He nods politely at Kyungsoo, sniffing quietly as his head dips down. Perhaps he was trying to be discreet, but it’s a fairly obvious act. He then turns to Jongin, who has stepped back enough to pull the sheets over his lower half.

“What,” Jongin challenges, stepping back into the doorframe to block his entry.

“Pants, please,” the older Kim requests quietly. “Chef Do, would you please excuse us.”

That’s not really something he can refuse. Kyungsoo chances a glimpse at Jongin, who looks raring for a fight, and opts for a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

The two are speaking in hushed tones. He can hear the buzz of angry voices from this distance, but it’s not enough to make out actual words, much less coherent sentences. It’s quite tempting to pretend to polish the dining table, if just to close the distance by a few meters, but Junmyeon did not look like he was in the mood for any foolishness today.

“How am  _ I _ taking advantage of  _ him _ ?” Jongin yells incredulously, startling him into dropping a washcloth.

Lucky for him, that statement is enough to upset Junmyeon into raising his voice in turn: “What kind of role model are you for the kids? He’s not in a position to tell you no! How hard is this to understand? Literally, the  _ one _ thing you’d think you shouldn't do, Jongin,  _ Jesus _ . Do you just not care? Why do I always have to clean up your messes? We’re lucky dad is so busy right now, otherwise—”

“That’s not what happened! I wasn’t some sleazebag!” Jongin protests.

“He  _ reeks _ of you,” Junmyeon growls, only he must have regained some sense and drops his voice back down.

No, this is the juicy part… Kyungsoo strains to hear more, but gets nothing for his efforts. They’re clearly talking about him. He wants to know… He  _ needs _ to know, dammit.

Eventually, he hears approaching footsteps and panics, snatching the towel back up and absently pretending to dust one of the shelves, internally wincing. His job here is to cook, not to clean. Smooth, real smooth.

Junmyeon enters the kitchen, trailed closely by a very pissed Jongin, finally dressed in yet another rumpled pair of sweats. The older brother smiles at Kyungsoo, although it seems rather forced.

“I heard you’ve been an excellent chef,” Junmyeon says. “I think we might need to promote you to something that is better suited to your skills. My wife and I are trying to get my kids to develop more sophisticated palates so they don’t grow up living off of junk food like my brother here.” He pretends to jab playfully at Jongin’s chest, only to get smacked away harshly before he can make contact. He quickly recovers, clearing his throat and turning back to Kyungsoo. “You’d have an entire wing of the house to yourself. Along with a pay raise, of course.”

Jongin has been sneering the entire speech, but once the offer is delivered, he looks over at Kyungsoo cautiously.

It’s a bit easier to piece together now. The kids Jongin babysat over the weekend are Junmyeon’s. Likely his wife relayed her theory on what happened, and now he is here to do damage control.

Junmyeon is wearing a huge frown, eyes focusing lower, toward Kyungsoo’s neck. He realizes his hand had come back up to graze one of the claim marks again while he’s lost in thought and hurriedly drops it.

The frown shifts into a chipper, close-mouthed smile, even though his body language is broadcasting anything but happiness. “Of course, that’s a big decision,” Junmyeon says sympathetically, “so I will check up with you again tomorrow, okay? Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. Anytime. I have to leave for work, so please take care.”

Kyungsoo nods and bows politely, watching the beta show himself out. He feels so tense. Jongin doesn’t look much better, shoulders hunched, staring at the exit, as if he expects his brother to return.

“Was he… trying to bribe me?” Kyungsoo tries to make his tone sound light, to mask the sense of dread he feels.

“Did I force myself on you?” Jongin asks weakly, his voice cracking a little.

The vulnerable tone is disconcerting. Wait, is he actually giving his brother’s accusations any thought? The notion that Jongin forced him into doing anything... 

“I came to you,” Kyungsoo admits. It’s not like he’s happy with the alpha, but facts are still facts. “Trust me, it was… very consensual.” He bites his lip, adding as an afterthought, “I’m not going to try to sue or spread gossip either, if that’s what he’s concerned about.”

Jongin is silent, brooding at the countertop. He eventually splays his hands out over the surface, tensing and releasing. “So you didn’t like those flowers either, then?” he asks, not looking up. He sounds so defeated.

“The… sunflowers?” Kyungsoo confirms. Or did he get new flowers and just somehow missed this entirely? Jongin doesn’t respond, so he must assume it’s the same ones. “The cleaning crew threw it out. Like… last week. We… were too busy to take care of them. They died.”

Jongin nods absently.

“Did—” Kyungsoo’s cheeks go red, “Did they clean your room, by the way…”

“No one’s allowed in my room,” Jongin growls, sudden and harsh.

He bites back a Beauty and the Beast quip, deciding while it may be relevant, it might not be the most productive remark right now. But did Jongin not let him in earlier? Well, not really. Kyungsoo had kind of just… stormed in. Whoops.

After too long of a silence, Jongin takes a step back, scrubbing at his eyes again. “I’m going back to bed,” he grumbles, “I’m tired.”

This is the most they’ve talked in almost a week. Kyungsoo had missed him so much, even with all of this crap. “Hey,” he calls out, taking two steps toward the alpha, but losing his nerve when Jongin actually stops and turns around.

“What.”

He needs to plan talking points before his mouth starts things, dammit. “Don’t let him ruin your day,” Kyungsoo says, biting his lip anxiously after. Is that even his place to say? What if Jongin idolizes his big brother, and Kyungsoo totally just overstepped?

He really… knows nothing about the alpha…

Jongin laughs dryly, sarcastically, “Trust me, he can’t.”

But he’s still standing there, facing Kyungsoo expectantly.

“You didn’t answer me,” Kyungsoo reminds him quietly.

“On what?”

He squirms under the alpha’s gaze, but presses forward, “Why you sent him home.”

After a long pause, Jongin purses his lips and focuses on a spot to the side of Kyungsoo’s head to answer, “I… wasn’t ready yet.” He frowns. “I thought I could be.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Jongin turns frustrated, brows furrowing, “Why so many questions?”

He’s run out of steam. He has no answer. Jongin actually looks at him again, his gaze beseeching, but saying nothing either. It had felt like, for a brief moment, things were… somewhat better, but he failed to capture and preserve the momentum.

After a few more moments in silence, Jongin leaves, shutting his bedroom door carefully.

—

Maybe this could work, Kyungsoo thinks. Maybe his post-heat symptoms will go away soon, and Jongin will be back to normal Mr. Kim who can be occasionally flirty and cute. The alpha showed up for lunch. He’s a disheveled mess in his greasy man bun and three-day old sweats, but he actually came out of his room for the meal without Kyungsoo even having to prompt for him.

Dinner too. It’s almost a miracle. In a moment of foolishness, Kyungsoo decided to plate his food slowly, deliberately, in case Jongin might want to invite him to sit back down. His feelings may be saying one thing, but some normalcy might be nice. He can only take so much time to do so, however, and feels embarrassed as his presence goes ignored. Back to his room to eat at his desk again.

At least his brain is allowing him to sleep again. Kyungsoo manages to actually doze off after Tao comes by to pick up food, scolding him for bailing on yet another pack walk. His defense is that he just hasn’t been resting, which is enough to elicit sympathy and forgiveness. Tomorrow, he tells himself. Tomorrow, he’ll try to be a decent pack member again.

Something wakes him a couple hours later. He can’t pinpoint it, like a feeling or presence. It is familiar, and he’s more startled from waking up so abruptly than afraid.

A soft, hesitant knock on the door causes him to jump again.

So that’s definitely not a ghost. Maybe.

Rolling to his feet, Kyungsoo leans against the door jam and sniffs, hurriedly opening the door once he recognizes the scent.

Jongin had just taken a step back, but marches into the room, prowling back and forth as Kyungsoo shuts the door. He comes to a halt as they face each other, and seems to deflate.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo asks. He feels a small thrill run through him. In his mind, Jongin will throw him onto the bed, confess some wild love story, and they can make love until sunrise.

The alpha looks nervous, wringing his hands, “I, uh, I… couldn’t sleep.”

And what is he expecting Kyungsoo to do about it? Entertain him? Is this it then, did he come to fuck?

“I-... Can I sleep here?”

He recognizes the look in Jongin’s eyes. Maybe he should feel smug, that at least it’s not that easy for Jongin to forget about him either. His body, his instincts are telling him Kyungsoo is his mate. But it will fade, and much more quickly for him than it will Kyungsoo.

At least they’re both miserable.

But turning him away isn’t something that Kyungsoo wants to do either. He nods and steps back, watching the alpha fumble with his waistband before deciding to leave them on and drop onto one side of the small bed. Kyungsoo climbs into the other, catching Jongin staring disdainfully at his ratty old t-shirt and briefs, as if the slob has any room to judge with his perma-wrinkled slacker sweats. They lay in silence as far apart on the bed as they can manage, until Jongin sighs and rolls onto his side, inching closer.

Another minute, and Jongin wiggles closer still, until he’s curled against Kyungsoo, and then pausing for the briefest moment before burrowing his nose into Kyungsoo’s nape, breathing deeply.

He wonders how much the alpha’s scent has faded.

Kyungsoo rolls onto his side, facing away, and shuffles back until they nest snugly against each other. He hears Jongin hum a happy sound, and the alpha’s hand slips around his waist.

“Is this better?” he asks, listening to Jongin’s breathing grow steady.

“A little.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Progress is there if you squint really hard and like step back a little, kinda like those Magic Eye 3D things. I think. Idk, I could never do those. But anyway, yeah, uh....I promised Pornstar, and wrote....this. But my heart feels a little better now.


	15. Chapter 15

Something is very uncomfortable about his stomach. Kyungsoo hasn’t managed to pry his eyelids open yet, but he’s conscious enough to realize that the discomfort is shifting very rapidly into pain territory.

The heavy mass on top of him shifts, and something flies into his nose, causing him to yelp and spasm for freedom, setting off a reaction, where whatever was pressing into his gut jams even harder. He groans and curls into himself, forcing his eyes open.

“What is it?” Jongin shouts, bleary eyed and dazed.

He groans some more, wedging a hand between them to cover his tender belly from further damage. The pain has already faded, but it was more the shock than anything. Still disoriented, it takes longer than necessary to piece together what has happened: Jongin, for whatever reason, was splayed out at a diagonal over him, and his hipbone had been digging more and more into Kyungsoo’s abdomen.

Pain gone, Kyungsoo scrubs at his eyes and shields a huge yawn. He’s freezing, and his internal clock feels way off. Jongin must be too used to sleeping naked in a frigid room, and decided during the night that that means there is no need for blankets here. He can’t even feel his toes.

He knows he's definitely overslept. In fact, despite the hip to the gut, this is indisputably the _best_ he’s slept all week.

Dammit.

“Are you okay?”

Kyungsoo nods, pulling his knees up so he can perch his chin on them. He feels around his nightstand for his phone, finding nothing, and looks up to a tap on his shin.

“I think I might’ve turned your alarm off,” Jongin says apologetically, handing it over with a pout.

The positioning makes a little more sense now. Jongin must have heard the alarm and climbed over him to mindlessly stop the noise. Kyungsoo sneaks a glance at the alpha while pulling up his messages to text an excuse to Chanyeol, noticing a glistening line from the corner of Jongin’s lips.

There’s a cold sensation on the collar of his shirt, dripping toward his chest. He winces and pulls the soaked fabric away from his skin. “ _And_ you were drooling all over me,” Kyungsoo mutters, more to himself than anything.

Jongin picks at the inner corners of his eyes and laughs, his voice still hoarse from sleep. “That’s nothing new,” he mutters, standing up and sauntering off to the bathroom.

“Huh?” Kyungsoo asks, his question going unacknowledged. He groans again, forcing himself to his feet and dumping the blankets back onto the bed. It’s late, but it’s not too bad. No time for a stroll through the market and pack walk, but he already has everything stocked for today, and worst case, he can run off after lunch to pick up whatever else he needs. Kyungsoo tosses his phone on top of the pile and walks over to the mirror. He can hear the toilet flushing, and Jongin coming back into the room just as he sheds the damp shirt.

Kyungsoo can feel the alpha’s gaze centering right between his shoulder blades and dragging down his spine to settle on the dimples of his lower back as the mattress creaks under Jongin’s weight. A quick sidestep and he can spy Jongin’s reflection in the mirror, eyes now sharp with interest.

He sheds his shorts, pulling his trousers up and taking his time to zip and button before shrugging into his undershirt. The hickeys are all long gone, the tiny bruises as well, along his hips in an arc where Jongin’s fingers had dug in for better leverage, but there are plenty of little red indentations all over him still. Fading, but very visible nevertheless.

Jongin doesn’t move, however, only watching in silence as Kyungsoo dresses. It was thrilling at first, but as the seconds drag on, the lack of action quickly turns annoying. Kyungsoo fights a snarl from escaping as he tucks his arms through his dress shirt. Despite finally getting some much needed rest, there's been an undercurrent of irritability in the back of his mind since he woke. Or perhaps before then. The silence is only making it worse.

“Don’t go work for my brother,” Jongin says quietly. He’s noticed the mirror by now, and they lock eyes for an instance.

That came out of nowhere. Kyungsoo turns to face him, “Why?”

Jongin chews on his lip for a moment, “You know you don’t even have to wear that, right? I know he got it for you when you started, but I don’t care what you wear here. If you went to him, he’d probably put you in some ridiculous penguin suit everyday.”

A dress code? This isn't going where he thought it would. Kyungsoo licks his lips, opting to play along, “Is… that a bad thing?”

Jongin’s lips press into a thin line, and his brows knit together as he plucks at a hangnail on his index finger. He sighs, eyes coming back to Kyungsoo, and drops his hands back to the mattress. “He— I love my brother. He’s a good brother. And a really good father. But he’s… a terrible employer. He’s got, like, a beta complex. You know what I mean?” He pauses, seeing the blank look on Kyungsoo’s face, and presses on, “Like… he’ll treat you like a servant. His kids, whom I also love _dearly_ , will do the same. My sis-in-law too. They just have very… stupid views of hierarchies and service people.”

There’s something off about Jongin's explanation. It _sounds_ so sincere, and yet… not. Like a spoiled kid trying out pragmatism as a defense on why someone else shouldn’t get to play with their toys. “Oh…” Kyungsoo offers, concealing his disappointment. He doesn’t know what he was expecting. Maybe some grand confession that Jongin had secretly been in love with him this whole time, and now wants to run away together, into the sunset of happiness and sunshines and rainbows.

“You can take time off if you need it, however long you need. And then we can talk… about how to”—Jongin's hands cycle helplessly, as if trying to churn forth words—“how to go back to normal, I guess?”

Normal. _‘I wasn’t ready yet,’_ Jongin had said, when asked why he sent Kyuhyun home. That’s what he has to look forward to, if he stays here. He’s supposed to just stay in the background while Jongin eventually gets over this heatwave and can date other people again. He just has to stay in the toybox until Jongin loses interest. Until the shine wears off.

“Did you do your little offering thing with him too,” Kyungsoo murmurs, leaning back against the dresser. The question had slipped out with a little too much bite and way before he could consider the ramifications. Worse, it came out fully accusatory and jealous, so there’s no room to play it off as harmlessly curious. It’s been weighing on his mind since Jongin’s explanation, anyway. The guy might not have stayed the night, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t try to build up to a certain point first, before Jongin gave up and sent him home.

Jongin looks confused. “...Offering thing?”

The sneer tugs his lip upward. “With your _date_.”

Understanding sparks in Jongin’s eyes. He scowls. “...No?”

“What are the requirements for first bites, then? Do you have to sleep with them first?”

“I’ve never done that with _anyone_ before,” Jongin retorts, his brows scrunching together in frustration. “You-... you just think I’m the worst person in existence, huh?”

“I never said that,” he says flatly.

Jongin’s lips form a thin line. “But you think it, right? What Junmyeon said, you feel that way too?”

“You didn’t force yourself on me,” Kyungsoo sighs, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. They're really going to start the morning following such a lovely night with more fighting. “How many times do I have to say it?”

“So I’m just a different kind of deviant then?”

When did he imply such a thing. And yet memories of him gossiping to his pack about his playboy boss come readily to him. His righteous indignance falters a step, “I… I didn’t say that either.”

Jongin falls silent, carefully choosing his words. “So what do you feel about me then?” he asks slowly.

His curiosity sated, it is time for payment, of course. Kyungsoo gulps, confidence fully abandoned, looking everywhere but directly at the alpha. This is the part of the conversation he was hoping to avoid indefinitely. This is not the time for honesty. The urge to protect oneself from the possibility of rejection is a strong one. It’s self-preservation. Rejection is the worst feeling, to get your hopes up, have your heart broken, and then have to face the person after, to have them walk away, knowing something so vulnerable about you, and in return, to know that they don’t care.

Except he’s the one who started it, guns blazing even. “You’re not a bad person,” he hedges. “I don't think you're a bad person. ...I like… working here.”

Jongin stares at him for quite a while before dropping his gaze with a heavy sigh and laying back on the bed to look at the ceiling, frowning.

Maybe he should apologize for snapping about Kyuhyun. It’s not his place, and the alpha can obviously go do whatever he wants with whomever he wants. That’s the whole point of moving on after heats. But he doesn’t mean that, and he can’t make himself say it. Maybe he could try to offer something better than what he said.

It did come out kind of uncharitable.

His entire mood this morning feels rather uncharitable. It’s possible he’s allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment. Perhaps he’s being too unfair.

Something nags at his brain. What was it that Jongin had said to him, the ‘bitch’ comment. He was too livid in that moment to focus properly on it.

_‘Don't get bitchy at me when it's you who didn't want anything.’_

The silence, as cliche as it may seem, is deafening. This point, right here, with Jongin picking at a loose stitch on his blankets, feels frightening, like he’s standing on the edge of a precipice, and seeing, clearly, the defining moment where the heat illusion finally collapses, leaving only reality behind. Just Mr. Kim and him, going off to live their own lives, based on what he says and does next.

And what he's had to say, apparently, was that he doesn’t think Jongin is the worst of the worst.

That’s weak, by anyone’s standards. He can at least take responsibility for his own emotions.

He swallows, “I…”

“Thanks for letting me sleep here,” Jongin’s voice sounds suddenly hollow. He rolls to sitting, looking at the ground for a few seconds before coming up and walking slowly, reluctantly, toward Kyungsoo, stopping a few steps away, avoiding eye contact.

The alpha looks so tired. He had slept well. He was laughing just minutes earlier.

He should’ve kept his mouth shut about Kyuhyun, but he couldn’t.

Jongin looks so defeated.

He came to Kyungsoo last night. And he didn’t come to ask for sex. Sleep, maybe a different kind of intimacy.

Maybe…

Maybe he was reckless with more than just _his_ emotions during heat. It’s so hard to tell. It had been an intense few days. He’s been doing everything he could to avoid having to face his own thoughts and feelings, much less someone else’s. How is he supposed to know where hormones end and something not so physically substantial begins?

“Can I try to answer that question again?” Kyungsoo asks, forcing one word out after the next, and feeling the panic start to well once he reached the end.

“What question?”

Jongin had looked so broken last night. The soft request to stay; it didn’t sound like a spoiled brat’s frustration over possibly losing a prized toy. And right now, he looks genuinely hurt.

Kyungsoo needs time to sort this out, and time is something he just doesn’t have. Not right now. He can feel this door ready to shut. To do nothing would guarantee that Jongin would move on past him.

Deep breaths. He’s taking too long, Jongin’s actually looking at him again, curiosity piqued.

“How I feel…” Kyungsoo gulps, his fingertips going numb. He breathes in again, filling up his lungs until they ache from fullness, and exhaling slowly. It helps a little. Breaking eye contact to glance down at the damp spot on his tee from last night helps more. Jongin came to him. Jongin wants him to stay. There could be more meaning there too, if only he is brave enough to find out. He can do better than this. “I… like you.”

“What?”

Out of reflex, he rolls his eyes, fighting the urge to turn and run or kick something. “How I feel about you…” Kyungsoo realizes he’s mumbling, and clears his throat, “I like you… like a lot. Like, I’m not some desperate, crazy person trying to demand we mate or whatever, I just— _God_ , this sounds so juvenile. _Urrgh_. I think it’s not just heat.” He wets his lips, clenching and unclenching his hands into fists, hastily adding, “For me, anyway. I… I don’t know.”

“You like me?” Jongin echoes, suddenly much more attentive again. “Like, what kind of like?”

 _“I don’t know,”_ Kyungsoo manages to barely refrain from snapping, still tense at the confession. “My heat was _just_ over. I have a lot of thoughts I need to sort through. I don’t know. There’s like… a jetlag, kind of, you know?”

“...No.”

Kyungsoo sneers. “Well, it’s rough for omegas after heats. There’s a lot of shit to sort out. It’s… different than alphas. Y’all have it way easier.”

Jongin looks doubtful. “How so?”

“Like,” Kyungsoo ransacks his memory for an example, “a while back, there was this alpha at a restaurant I worked at… He was growling at customers afterward, like all territorial. But it faded like a day or so later, and he was super embarrassed and apologetic about it.”

“You think what I’m feeling is territorial alpha bullshit?” Jongin asks.

He’s going to explode, dear god, why does it feel like he’s constantly saying the wrong thing? “I’m saying I don’t know what you’re feeling. I barely even know what _I’m_ feeling.”

After a pause, “But you _do_ like me.”

He's about to retort with something half-clever, but looks up to see Jongin smiling, and it’s dazzling enough to temporarily blind any of his concerns. He hasn’t seen the alpha smile in ages, it feels like. He’d forgotten its power. He can feel his cheeks ache, trying to conceal his own stupid grin in response.

The alpha touches Kyungsoo’s chin, a gentle nudge with the knuckle of his index finger. His expression softens. “You haven’t smiled at me since forever.” There’s a trace of a whine in Jongin’s voice. The pad of his thumb traces along the edge of Kyungsoo’s lower lip briefly and drops. “I’ve missed it so much. You know I'm i—you know I like you too, right? It’s been so obvious?”

Jongin missed his smile. Oh no, his heart is going to burst at the words. He’s still reeling with relief from the moment, that the words leave him completely disarmed and mushy. “How’s it been obvious,” Kyungsoo mutters, feeling his ears burn.

Jongin barks out a single laugh, “What else should I have done, peed on you and tattooed your name on my forehead?”

Oh, sure, let’s make jokes now, after he went through all the agony of confessing. _It really wasn’t obvious._ He can feel his lips jutting out into a pout, “Maybe you could’ve started by not going on dates with other people.”

Jongin leans forward, smirking, “Were you jealous?”

What a smug question. He shoots the alpha a withering glare. Jongin only grins wider, unrepentant, eyes twinkling.

“I didn’t do it to make you jealous, if that makes you feel any better.”

Yeah, that makes him feel really special. “He asked me for advice on sleeping with you.”

The smile drops into a sheepish expression. He was just sulking. He doesn’t want to dump guilt around. Kyungsoo’s dealing with his own share. Besides, they really do have more pressing things to be dealing with.

“Sorry…”

“So back to your brother…” Kyungsoo starts, trying to recover. Jongin likes him back. It’s such a childish thing, but he’s still reeling from the mutual confessions and doing somersaults internally.

“Forget about him. What can he do?”

Kyungsoo crosses his arms and raises his brows.

The smile returns, crooking upward on one side, into a smirk. “I’ll protect you,” Jongin promises.

He’s weak. Kyungsoo conceals his reflexive smile by turning away. Stupid flirt. “I don’t know if there’s a way out, to be honest,” he admits. “He seemed really mad yesterday, and pretty intent on fixing”—Kyungsoo flaps his hands between the two of them—“this.”

“I’ll take care of him if he tries to push,” Jongin boasts. “He doesn’t understand, and he doesn’t care to understand, but he can’t just step in and do whatever he wants, either.”

That sounds like a recipe for disaster. He doesn’t want them to fight. “Maybe I could go work for him for a little bit,” Kyungsoo says slowly. It’s not ideal, but that might be the best route for avoiding drama. “I could ask if I could transfer back after… like, once your marks and everything have faded, and—”

“No.”

“I—”

“Do you want to?”

“Well, no—”

“Then no.”

Kyungsoo sighs in exasperation. “So what do I tell Junmyeon then?”

“Seriously?” Jongin’s voice climbs an octave in indignance. “You’ve met him like three times total, and it’s first names? I had to be _inside_ you to finally get the same treatment. I’m really the only one you won’t call by name, huh?”

He snaps his fingers. “Focus, or I’m gonna tell him you knocked me up, _daddy_.”

Jongin latches onto it with glee, “That could work…”

Kyungsoo pinches the bridge of his nose tightly.

“Or wait, did you call me ‘Mr. Kim’ to distance me emotionally because you were secretly _crushing_?” Jongin sing-songs.

 _“Focus,”_ Kyungsoo grits out, cheeks burning once more.

“ _Ohmygod_ ,” Jongin whispers, his hands clapping together over his mouth and then sliding down to press into the center of his chest. "You’re in love with me.”

“I was trying to be professional, _Mr. Kim,”_ he grumbles petulantly, glaring harder when Jongin only bounces on the balls of his feet.

“You think I’m _gorgeous_ ,” Jongin drawls out in a teasing tone, exaggeratedly wiggling his hips from side to side, “you want to _kiss_ me, you want to _hug_ me…”

He can only stare in astonishment.

“Miss Congeniality?” Jongin says, holding his arms out, as if expecting Kyungsoo to actually leap into his embrace, “Old ass movie. Sandra Bullock?”

His face must look so ugly right now. _“...Chick flicks?”_

“You quoted Disney at me. I was relating. Besides, modern day fabulism with minimal angst and a heavy feels payload, who doesn't want that?” Jongin claps his hands together, eyes wide, “A-ha!”

“...What.”

“We tell him”—Jongin fans his hands out dramatically—”to fuck off, and that you’re pregnant and we're mated and engaged—”

“Nooo,” Kyungsoo's spine goes cold just at the mention of some of those words, “we absolutely do _not_.”

“We _tell_ him,” Jongin doesn't miss a beat, “that it was a momentary lapse in judgement and professionalism, but we had agreed beforehand that it was just heat relief, and we’re all good and bros now. Pro Bros. And he can go back to minding his own damn business.”

For an instance, the words sting, and his paranoid mind ponders if maybe Jongin is saying that they did, in fact, agree to be—

“And in the meantime, we can date,” Jongin declares proudly.

“We _cannot_ ,” Kyungsoo gasps, nearly choking at the statement. “That— That’s not professional at all. And… and you don’t even know me.”

Jongin scrunches his lips up. “That’s why people date,” he spells out slowly, “to get to know each other more.”

The thought is exciting and too full of hope, Kyungsoo has to stab it to bits before it can grow further. “What if all of this drama goes away and our hormones are all back to normal, and then you decide that you don’t like me outside of the bedroom?”

“Obviously, the solution is to keep you… in the bedroom?”

Wise-ass. _“Really?”_ Kyungsoo asks in disbelief.

“Well, I was being glib, but—”

He covers his face and groans, “Your brother is coming. We slept in late, so he could be showing up at any moment, and we have _no_ plan.”

“Secret dating and gaslighting was the plan, I thought?” Jongin snags the hem of his shirt in between two fingers and tugs him backward.

“How is that a plan?” Kyungsoo asks, only semi-reluctantly allowing himself to be pulled between Jongin’s legs as hands circle slowly over his waist. “Ach, who said you could hug me right now, you opportunist? Maybe I’m still mad at you.”

“For what?”

Crap, for what again…

“And who said I’m trying to hug you?” Jongin walks his fingers across Kyungsoo’s skin, underneath the fabric, and settle into the dimples of his back, fondling in little pirouettes. “Ahh, my babies…”

The feigned attempt to push the hands away causes Kyungsoo to be lifted up and flipped onto the mattress. Jongin is on top of him a moment later, straddling his thighs and pushing his hands above his head, lacing their fingers together as he pins him in place. It’s familiar the instant that he does it, but it’s been so long that Kyungsoo just lets it all happen, forgetting to even complain. He’d missed this.

The alpha nudges Kyungsoo’s shirt collar to the side with the tip of his nose, inhaling deeply against his neck. “Mm, I’ve missed you so much,” Jongin moans softly, lips dragging against skin.

“My neck?”

Another deep inhale, “That too.”

“We can’t do anything, _Mr. Kim,_ ” he warns, trying to ignore the sparks shooting off at the soft touches.

“We could be preemptive and call him to have the conversation.” Lick. “Save him a trip.”

That’s starting to feel really good. Briefly, he flashes back to the last time they’ve had sex, where they had to waddle to the door for the delivery lady. Except this time, it’d be Jongin’s brother, walking in on them, right before firing him and fighting with Jongin. That’s… nope, that’s definitely enough to kill a boner.

“We can’t,” he sighs.

Jongin freezes above him. He pouts, “No makeup sex?”

“ _No_ makeup sex,” Kyungsoo confirms, sitting up when Jongin lets go. “I gotta go change again. He’ll smell you all over me.” He gets up and pulls out a new outfit. The alpha is too quiet, Kyungsoo notices, as he starts to unbutton his shirt. “Don’t leer,” he says over his shoulder, “I can feel it.”

“Mm…”

He sighs heavily. His head is a foggy mess. He’s horny and pissy and it’s just… a bad combination. “You might wake up and decide you don’t like me tomorrow,” Kyungsoo says, more thoughts coming to him. “We should actually stick to the plan.”

Jongin pats the spot next to him on the bed. “C’mere then.”

“I meant the real plan, the real fake plan, the—” He’s confusing himself, “The plan where we’re nice and professional and everything, and your brother won’t suspect anything because we’ll really be on our best behavior.”

“And… why would we do that?”

It’s a good idea, actually. He’s more comfortable with it, anyway. “Because if he decides to drop in randomly to check on you, he won’t find anything. And… it’d be better if we waited until all of this drama was over, and everything is out of our systems, and… see what happens from there.”

“You’re wanting us to wait because you don’t think I’m sincere?” Jongin asks.

“How is that the _only_ thing you got out of that?” he says, annoyed.

“I’m ready to, like, challenge my brother to a duel right now if he tried to take you away, and you still don’t believe that I might actually like you after _all_ we went through.”

“I believe you.” Maybe. He’s not sure. He believes it, but he’s still self-conscious and worried. Is it bad that he thinks Jongin could definitely like him right now, and definitely not like him tomorrow? It doesn’t even matter if that could be true or not, just the fact that he is capable of believing it means he’s got his own issues to sort out first. “I _believe_ you,” Kyungsoo repeats again, more confidently this time. “But you know I’m right. It’d be better if there was no post-heat haze to deal with. No brother drama or employment issues to deal with. And I’m just asking for a deferment.”

“So you want to wait until after all of these marks and my scent has faded off of you,” Jongin confirms. “And after my brother’s stopped coming here to check on us. Because you’re not sure if I’ll feel the same way about you after they’re gone?”

He nods once. That sounds like he’s asking a lot, when put that way. Did he offend Jongin further? Asking him to wait that long. It’d be probably a month or more.

Jongin crosses his arms. “You know that’s like practically the plot of Hwayugi, right?”

Hwa-what? The tv drama? “I haven’t seen it,” Kyungsoo says.

“It’s Son Oh Gong and Journey to the West and romance and how the hell have you not seen it?” Jongin asks, bewildered. “What’s wrong with you?”

“When did it come out?”

A shrug, “I don’t know, a few months ago, I think? It’s finished, even!”

“I got a new job where my boss stressed me the fuck out because he was this hot, broody, sullen alpha chaebol who rarely came out of his room, never gave me feedback on how my food tasted, sent me a video of his knot, seduced me during my heat, and then went back to brooding, sullen boss alpha just in the for his older brother to come and notice that everything was on fire.”

Jongin listens intently the entire rant, and then leans forward, “You think I’m hot?”

He scowls, “You _know_ you’re hot, don’t be like this right now.”

“I do, but it’s that _you_ think I’m hot,” Jongin continues.

“... _Anyway…_ ”

“Tell me how much you like me, and I’ll accept your deferment.”

“What.” Kyungsoo glances down at his phone again to check the time. If Junmyeon shows up at the same time as yesterday, it could be any moment now. He growls, “I… I like you enough that it hurt when you were all mean to me afterward. And I’d _like_ to see what could happen once your brother stops holding a magnifying glass over us.” He steps toward the door, fanning a hand out dramatically. “Can we go now?”

Jongin stands up and follows him. “So serious…”

“It—”

“And I wasn’t the mean one,” the alpha adds. “You were.”

“I was not mean,” Kyungsoo bristles. “ _You_ were.”

“Were not.”

He shoves Jongin’s back, rolling his eyes when the alpha flops forward, stomping to regain balance at the act. “Were too.”

—

They’ve barely made it to the kitchen to toddle around when the front door unlocks, and Junmyeon walks in. The beta looks impeccable, suit pressed, hair perfectly coiffed, skin glowing. He also looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here.

They didn’t have a chance to actually work out any finer points. Crap. Kyungsoo can feel his heart rate speeding up, blood pulsing in his ears as he bows in greeting.

“So,” Junmyeon announces with faux cheeriness, “are you ready to go teach culinary secrets to two of the most wonderful children?”

That’s his first mistake. Kyungsoo has no desire to teach anyone jack shit. He makes sure to avoid glancing over at Jongin, and crosses his hands primly on the counter. “Listen…” he starts, taking a deep breath before launching into an impassioned speech that surprises even himself. He knows this is about him and Jongin. He was in heat. Jongin offered. They’ve discussed things. It was strictly heat relief. He’s embarrassed that anyone even noticed, and it was totally unprofessional. He’s remorseful. They’ve discussed things further and have agreed to be professional from here on out.

He’s _dying_ to look over at Jongin, to reassure him that he doesn’t mean a single word of this, but he doesn’t dare. Jongin remembers the plan, right? Please, please, please.

Junmyeon’s face only grows more sour as his speech runs on. Once Kyungsoo finally finishes, the beta looks back and forth between the two of them, and takes his time picking a piece of lint off of his jacket. “I don’t know what to say,” he sighs, sounding strangely relieved if unconvinced. Perhaps he doesn’t want his kids hanging around Kyungsoo either. Or he’s worried Kyungsoo is some homewrecker, and might try to seduce him or his wife next. “I’m glad you two worked things out,” he adds, glancing down at his wristwatch and then up at Jongin. “Walk me out?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t turn in time to see Jongin’s face, only catching sight of his back as he leads his brother to the door. His stomach is twisting up in knots. He can hear them muttering quietly, but of course, can’t catch a coherent word of it.

The door shuts and locks. Footsteps approach.

For a fleeting moment, he visualizes Jongin storming through, beelining once again for his bedroom, abandoning any plans from this morning, upset at what he’s said.

Jongin steps into the kitchen, eyes wild, locking onto him.

Kyungsoo gulps.

The distance between them shortens to nothing in a split second, Jongin’s face filling his vision. His mouth was open, ready to say something, when their lips collide. Jongin’s hands steady him as he teeters back. They break apart a moment later, Jongin making sure he’s stable before letting go and stepping back.

“He, uh, I think he bought it, actually,” the alpha mumbles, actually looking embarrassed. The shock must be apparent on his face. “Sorry…”

His hand loops around Jongin’s nape, and pulls him back. It’s an impulsive kiss. He had intended it to last for just a peck, like last time, but Jongin walks him back until he’s pressed against the counter, panting for breath as they knead into each other’s shirts. It takes several attempts for them to pull apart this time, taking turns on who leans in to lick and invite for more.

Jongin doesn’t say anything, only looking at him in question as he huffs hot air against his cheek.

“There,” Kyungsoo says, wiping the saliva off of his lower lip, playing it off, “we’re even.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been responding to comments, I am SO sorry! I will get to those asap, I promise. But that brings me to another thing, I think I will be moving to just AO3 for future updates. It has an inbox, and it just makes it WAY easier for me to manage comments and make sure I can reply to everyone instead of having to chase them down and wonder where they went. I have plenty of AO3 invitations, so if you don't have an AO3 account, and would like one, please let me know. I'm happy to provide. I know I'm really, really behind, but I really wanted to thank everyone for commenting. I truly appreciate it. It's really encouraging for when I'm struggling to write harder scenes. I don't know if I'm making any sense. This chapter was huge, and I struggled a lot with it. Thank you to my beta, At1stSight/at1stsoo for helping with the first part. It was RAW, and she helped me fix SO much of it. I still don't know if I'm happy with it, but honestly, it's such a beast, and I've been messing with it for way too long, so I'm just gonna free it and see what happens. Again, thank you so much for your patience and love. I really appreciate it. I know I was supposed to end Pornstar, but I think I just really needed to bring these babies to a happier spot first. They were stressing me out. They were so sad and mopey and dumb. SIGH. So hopefully, it's better now, right?


	16. Chapter 16

“Yo,” Chanyeol smirks, “nice skirt.”

“Beat him for me,” Kyungsoo doesn’t even bother looking up, crossing his legs under his apron and scrubbing at the stain even more persistently. He had to change out of his pants to soak them, wearing some shorts underneath his apron while he cleans, so sure, he gets the lame joke, but it was still a lame joke.

Tao whacks at Chanyeol’s arm several times and throws himself across Kyungsoo’s bed, splaying out to stare up at the ceiling. He bolts back up in an instant, glancing back at the sheets once before walking forth and tugging at Kyungsoo’s apron. “What the  _ fuck _ ?” he hisses.

“What?” he and Chanyeol ask robotically.

“Baby Kim was in here getting his knot wet last night?” Tao stage-whispers, eyes wide, hands curling into some clawing motion to support his dramatic tone.

“He was  _ not, _ ” Kyungsoo snaps. He had left the sheets on purpose, but didn’t realize his pack would definitely be able to pick up on Jongin’s scent.

“Ohhh,” Chanyeol nods sagely. “That’s why he ditched us this morning.”

“Get rid of the evidence at least!” Tao continues in his scandalized voice.

“We didn’t do anything! He just laid there,” Kyungsoo growls, a moment before realizing how that could sound and slashing at the air toward Tao with his cleaning toothbrush. “Shut  _ up _ ! He just…”

“We all knew you were a power bottom, but I would never make you sit on juicy love sheets, Soo,” Tao moans, shaking his arms out in disgust as he starts to pace around the room.

“We just  _ slept _ . We didn’t do anything, you pervert, stop!” Kyungsoo gives up and just throws the toothbrush at him. It hits Tao lightly on the abdomen and falls to the floor, leaving a little clump of baking soda on his top.

“ _ Soo… _ ” whines Tao, dusting the offending powder away. He’s about to complain some more, but someone knocks from the other side of the door, and he falls silent, leaning into the door jam and sniffing intently before stepping back. “Speak of the devil…”

The room falls oddly silent as Tao opens the door. Jongin looks surprised to see Kyungsoo’s pack in his room and hesitates before stepping in. The last time they met was at the restaurant, a few pack walks ago, still during Kyungsoo’s heat. Not the best memory, and probably not that great of a first impression either.

It’s quiet. The alpha is looking down at Kyungsoo’s knees, sticking out from underneath the apron. He’s in shorts, he’s fully clothed, why look at him like… 

Hastily, Kyungsoo jerks the canvas fabric down to self-consciously cover his kneecaps. Jongin’s eyes turn upward, to his, and another long moment passes where he is too aware of everyone’s breathing.

A camera shutter goes off. “Oops,” Tao says, lowering his phone sheepishly.

Jongin only looks amused, rubbing his lips together as he resumes his staring.

“What?” Kyungsoo asks.

Jongin sucks his bottom lip in, holding it in place with his teeth and letting it slowly slip back out. “...Sorry,” he mumbles, flicking a finger toward the stain spot on the apron.

Don’t blush, don’t blush… His friends are watching. Kyungsoo looks away, avoiding all of them. “It’s fine…”

This is his own fault for letting Jongin help prepare lunch, and then somehow acting surprised that the alpha took it as a chance to be flirty and cute. As a result, they made a huge mess out of the soup, and Kyungsoo had to finish up, plate, and rush to his room to de-stain his clothes.

...Totally worth it..

“You haven’t eaten yet, though…” Jongin adds, taking a step closer and leaning against the wall.

Ignore the other two pairs of eyes boring into his skull. Kyungsoo clears his throat, “There are leftovers. I’m fine—”

“Leftovers?” his pack chimes in tandem.

Jongin glances over at them briefly. “I can get some lunch delivered,” he offers, “for… all of you to share?”

“That’s acceptable compensation,” Tao nods smugly.

“Compensation?” Jongin asks just as Chanyeol cheers loudly.

“No!” Kyungsoo squeaks, standing up and feinting menacingly at the beta. “There’s plenty. It’s enough. Ignore him. We’re all good,” he says as softly as he can. He doesn’t want to hurt Jongin’s feelings or offend him or whatever again, especially after the bit of progress they’ve managed to make just a couple of hours ago, but  _ no _ , this is enough of a mess, and they’re supposed to be at least  _ appearing _ to try and be normal.

It’s hard to tell if Jongin understood or not. He frowns, but it’s more pout than hurt. “I was also wondering,” Jongin begins, practically batting his lashes, “if I had to eat dinner alone… again.”

Kyungsoo gives him a pointed look.

“Since, you know,” Jongin continues shamelessly, “I’ve been eating dinner with you since… you started working here, just about, and it’s a normal thing that we’d been doing…”

The balls on him… It may be technically true, but that’s such a weak excuse. Kyungsoo fights to keep a smile at bay. “That’s fine,” he grits out, feeling his ears burn. They can make that an innocent thing, just company between two people living in the same house for a daily meal.

As if that wasn’t enough. “Do you want help with dinner…”

He’s going to die of embarrassment. His friends are never going to let him live this down. “Yeah, sure.”

—

**_Taobao:_ ** _ yo what romcom is this _

The image that Tao sent into the group chat finally loads. Kyungsoo taps on it and zooms in, feeling a strange, happy fluttering in his chest despite the agitation. He and Jongin staring at each other. It was awkward in the moment, but looking at it from an outsider’s perspective lessens the impact. Sort of.

**_Yeol Work:_ ** _ romcom what bitch this is a porno _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ THE AUDACITY _

**_Me:_ ** _ AGAIN _

**_Me:_ ** _ WE DIDNT’ DO ANYTHING _

**_Me:_ ** _ WHAT ARE YOU 15??? _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ you believe this bs pcy?? _

**_Yeol Work:_ ** _ for now _

**_Yeol Work:_ ** _ but only bc theyre in love and i’m weak for that shit _

**_Me:_ ** _ we’re not dating _

**_Me:_ ** _ we’re not together _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ yeah i get that ;) _

**_Yeol Work:_ ** _ WINK WONK _

**_Me:_ ** _ DON’T YALL HAVE JOBS OR DO I HAVE TO CARRY THIS WHOLE DAMN PACK BY MYSELF _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ whatevs your welcome for my services _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ i bet yall don’t even have cute pics together except your n00ds, you nasties _

**_Me:_ ** _ you’re* _

**_Yeol Work:_ ** _ sick burn, soo, sick burn _

—

Prep took nearly twice as long, since in an effort to redeem himself, Jongin actually wound up volunteering himself for the bulk of root vegetable chopping. And of course, the alpha has zero experience with chopping vegetables, resulting in Kyungsoo stressing to make sure he’s holding the knife correctly and tucking his fingers in, so he doesn’t accidentally chop his pretty fingers off. And then whatever professional or casual appearance they might have put on during dinner prep gets shot right out of the water once it’s actually time to eat. 

“Ahh, I’m  _ starving _ ,” Jongin whines, hurrying back to his side of the dining table and stabbing at his steak before he even manages to sit back down.

He doesn’t have a clever retort, but even if he did, Kyungsoo’s too busy chewing away at the big bite stuffed into his mouth to respond. He scowls down at his plate. “Did you forget the  _ plan _ ?” he warbles out. They’re seated at opposite ends of the table. Jongin had stomped right over and jammed the first bite of his food into Kyungsoo’s mouth before he could even realize what was going on. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jongin says innocently, shoveling more food down. “You just gave me too much food. I’m merely doing portion control.”

 

The rest of the night is uneventful. He had expected some more naughty business, but is still grateful that Jongin is behaving. It won’t do at all if Junmyeon returns anytime soon and notices that Jongin’s scent hasn’t faded off of him, or catches them in some compromising, unexplainable position. Maybe the alpha is scared too, and at least trying to occasionally play by the rules.

His pack is still giving him grief about Jongin, spamming their group chat with memes to the point of incoherency. It helps him sleep, at least, putting his phone on mute and snuggling into sheets that still hold some of Mr. Kim’s sweet scent. It’s nowhere near the same as playing little spoon, but it’s better than nothing while it lasts.

 

He’s up a few hours later with a full bladder and a dry throat. It’s annoying, and Kyungsoo grumbles the entire way from the bathroom to the kitchen to get some water. The temperature has started to drop. The floor is cool beneath his feet.

A hissing sound comes from somewhere upstairs, so loud in the dark, empty house. It happens again. Clutching his glass of water, Kyungsoo steps closer to the stairs and strains to listen, hearing it repeat periodically over the next couple of minutes. Maybe a cat? He sighs and goes to investigate, pausing at the top of the stairs to catch it again.

From here, it sounds more like a lighter flicking on and off, followed by a puffing sound. His eyes widen as he wonders if he should bail to his room. Someone is smoking - oh god, is someone smoking crack or something on the balcony? Does Jongin do drugs?

“I know you’re there, you know,” Jongin announces from around the corner.

Steeling himself, Kyungsoo steps into the balcony in time to see the alpha, in just his customary pajama pants, bare chest, and loosely tied hair, flick a lighter on with one hand and rotate a stick with the other. On the end of the stick is a white blob, slowly catching fire and blackening.

“Want one?” Jongin offers, extinguishing the flame with a puff of air and holding the stick out.

Kyungsoo finally reaches him and looks down at the bamboo skewer holding a toasted marshmallow. On the little side table next to the alpha is a bag of more, jumbo-sized. He accepts it, watching numbly as Jongin picks up another skewer and spears a new marshmallow from the bag.

“You’re just in time,” the alpha pats a spot next to him and then goes back to browning the surface of the marshmallow carefully. “It’s my study break.”

“Study break…” Kyungsoo mumbles as he drops into the seat.

His hands full, Jongin gestures with a toe toward the high stack on the other end of the table. A few textbooks, some thinner manuals, brochures, and then a tablet on top of all of them.

“...Study break?”

“All work and no play makes Jongin something something.”

He reads over some of the brochures. One features the latest model of induction pressure rice cookers from the Kim family’s conglomerate, another is a compact, desktop kimchi refrigerator, and the rest that he can see from here are more of their tech. “Is this what you do every night?” Kyungsoo asks.

“No,” Jongin answers matter-of-factly. “Some nights, I’m with you.”

He gives a weak shove for the obtuse answer, “So this is why you sleep in all the time, then? You’re up all night toasting marshmallows and studying… whatever this is? No wonder you need glasses.”

“Why do  _ you _ wear glasses then, hmm?” Jongin tilts his head up and brushes a finger down the bare bridge of Kyungsoo's nose. “Not that you don't look ridiculously cute when you have them on…”

Kyungsoo exhales through his nostrils in a rush, letting the finger drop away, “I have astigmatism. We can't all be alphas with naturally heightened senses and hunting prowesses.”

“I know a lot of alphas who wear glasses,” Jongin pouts. “Some of us like to read.”

“ _ Nerd _ ,” Kyungsoo sneers. He takes a bite of the marshmallow, enjoying the way the treat melts in his mouth.

“Don't eat all of it. I like to eat the toasted parts and then re-toast it so it stays gooey the whole time,” advises Jongin.

“Pro-tip,” Kyungsoo grins at the absurdity. “Late night candy. How do you have abs again?”

Jongin bumps shoulders with him and smirks. “You should've seen them when I first came back home. I was fucking  _ ripped _ . You would've been trailing puddles.”

Would there even be a point in trying to deny that possibility… Kyungsoo pretends to not have heard it. “So what are you doing with all this?” he asks, waving at the pile of books.

“We do a lot of stuff,” Jongin explains, biting into his marshmallow. “The home shopping network and the shopping center is Minseok’s thing. Jongdae handles some of the phone and computer peripherals stuff. Electronics. I don’t know how much I care about rice cookers, but Junmyeon needs me in small appliances, so he can take over the finance department.”

He actually didn’t know just how big Jongin’s family’s company was. He knew about the home shopping network and the stores, of course, who doesn't, but, “So… you’ll be making rice cookers…”

Jongin giggles and shuffles around to lean his weight against Kyungsoo, resting his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Nah, I’ll just be managing one of the departments. I've got the list of employees that'll be under me here, and the current products, et cetera. It’s a huge ordeal, like there’s marketing and contracts and international trade and all kinds of stuff just within each area. It’s stupid.”

He should protest the contact, but Kyungsoo has been starving for it and opts to leave it be for now. It’s a cold night. The alpha is so warm. It’s just the… practical solution. “Why is it stupid?”

“Because everyone thinks I’ll only be there because I’m one of the chairman’s sons,” Jongin sighs, “and they’re right. I don’t even want to be there. And I shouldn’t be there. But that’s what has to happen, apparently.”

“...So why is that stupid?”

“Because literally nobody wants me there. I don't even think it's something that'll make Dad happy. It's just what's expected, so why deviate from the programming. They sent me away for business school and prestige and all that. They gotta reap it back, I guess.”

Kyungsoo doesn't know what he should or shouldn’t say. “That sucks,” he offers, figuring it is safe enough.

“Sucks,” Jongin agrees.

“It sounds like it’d be easier to learn if you were actually in the office, no?”

Jongin laughs again. “It would  _ definitely  _ be easier.”

“...So…”

“I’m still holding out on a change of heart, I guess.”

Kyungsoo looks at him. “Is it that bad?”

“It's not a bad deal for me,” Jongin rolls his eyes in annoyance. “None of my brothers mind all that much. It’s a pretty cushy job. You gotta deal with constant shade thrown by bitter old people who have to work under you, and salty younger fuckers who are jealous their education didn't pay off as well as sheer luck by pedigree, but that's about it. Can't really complain. I just think the whole thing is dumb.”

“So what would you rather be doing?” Kyungsoo asks, waiting too long for an answer before looking down at Jongin to find him waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Kyungsoo shoves him back upright.

“Aww,  _ Soo… _ ”

“Your brother probably thinks I'm some gold digger trying to seduce his poor baby brother, and you're here perving away.”

“Nah,” Jongin dismisses that idea with a wave and resettles his head into Kyungsoo's lap. “We're not that close anymore, but trust me: there's no way he thinks you're actually the one at fault.”

He remembers the argument the two brothers were having the other day and frowns. “Were y'all close?”

Jongin smiles a small, tight smile. “Not really, I guess. Not since we were kids, so I guess… not really.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo winces, “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. What about you?”

“Only child,” he explains, shrugging his shoulders as Jongin wiggles around to get more comfortable.

“ _ Spoiled little omega baby _ ,” Jongin coos gleefully.

He snorts loudly, kind of glad for the subject change even if the focus is now on him, “I  _ wish _ . My parents wanted a beta so they wouldn't have to worry. You know how awkward it is having your parents explain heat and omega lubrication to you when you're ten years old? Or them asking every time I called home if I’m sure I'm not pregnant or some shit?”

“That sounds like a drag,” Jongin muses thoughtfully.

“They're not pushy,” Kyungsoo rushes to elaborate. “They're just paranoid, you know? They just expect the worst things to happen to me.”

Jongin chuckles dryly, “Mine just expect the worst  _ from  _ me.”

 

He's probably interfering with Jongin's studies, he realizes halfway into another conversation, about ten minutes later, as much as he’s enjoying this somewhat surreal meeting. Not to mention it's late as hell, and he really does have to be up early tomorrow morning.

“What is it?” Jongin asks quietly, reaching a finger up to tap the tip of his nose.

“I didn't say anything.”

“You tensed up.”

That's as good of an out as any. “I should probably go to sleep,” Kyungsoo mumbles, fighting back a yawn. “You should too.”

“Hey, don't try and seduce me right now, eh?” Jongin warns playfully, stroking along Kyungsoo's jawline to tug on his left earlobe. He licks his lips. “I have a plan to follow. I'm immune to your omega wiles.”

Kyungsoo groans, unamused, flicking the alpha's fingers away only for them to settle back on his nape. He leans down, so they're eye to eye, gaze dropping as Jongin licks his lips and narrows the distance until the tips of their noses touch.

“I'm sorry,  _ hyung _ ,” Kyungsoo's voice drips with saccharine innocence, “I  _ promise  _ I won't try anything.”

“Meanie,” the alpha tries to grab at his hand as Kyungsoo scurries off the seat and strides for the exit.

“Yah, watch out,” Kyungsoo taunts over his shoulder, “you’re gonna catch cooties.”

Jongin stops him at the doorway, leaning them against the threshold and bringing Kyungsoo’s caught hand up to his lips to kiss the back of it softly. “Want  _ my  _ cooties?” he asks, voice dropping low as his eyes narrow.

No, he is not equipped to deal with simultaneously soft, dorky, and horny alpha. Kyungsoo squirms out of his grasp regretfully. “Ask me in a month,” he says, fleeing for the stairs before he does something even more impulsive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been super stressed and dealing with a lot of drama lately, so I haven't been writing. I've gotten a couple of shitty comments demanding updates recently too, which kills the motivation to write even more. Those are rare, and there have been so, SO many supportive readers who've left such loving, encouraging, incredible comments, but sometimes when you're already having a crappy day, that's just an extra kick in the crotch, you know? Either way, I've been down, and when I'm down, this is the fic that I turn to the most. Thank you to everyone who've been so incredibly patient. I'm currently working on both Glucose Guardian and Pornstar as well, and making very good progress on those too. This one just had the chapter already outlined, and it was just way easier to flesh out. Thank you to at1stsoo for looking over this for me. I know it's been a ***-less few chapters, but hey, droughts end. ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ my bro is here _

His blood runs cold as he absorbs the four words on the screen. Someone knocks him in the shoulder, prompting a protective growl from Chanyeol as he and Tao step closer to Kyungsoo to nudge him off to the side of the busy path.

They are at the market. Despite getting too little sleep last night, Kyungsoo had woken up feeling motivated enough to try and be a functioning pack member again. It was just the three of them today too, with Sehun staying back to watch the trio of now fashionable, matching pups.

It has to be Junmyeon, right? Why would Jongin text him about any other brother? But why would he be there? The text seems to be sent rather hastily. Surely, otherwise, there’d be much more reassuring context.

“You okay?” Tao asks, squeezing his shoulder gently.

“Yeah,” he mutters, checking the message again, as if it’ll miraculously say something different. Nope. Kyungsoo chews on his lip, debating if this means he should hurry back or avoid the house for a while.

“What is it?” Chanyeol leans over him to peek at the screen. “Baby Kim? Or I guess it’s Bae Kim now?”

“He—” Clamping his mouth shut, Kyungsoo frowns and pockets his phone. “Sort of. I don’t know.” The weight of the phone in his pocket is bothering him, but he resists digging it out to look at the text again. “I think I might need to get back.”

Tao makes his concerned face, something in between eating something sour and his usual selfie pose, “Wanna talk about it?”

It’s not like him to keep things from pack. They wouldn’t tell anyone. He knows that. They wouldn’t judge him either. He knows that too. It’s hard to explain, though. Embarrassing. And it’s definitely not a conversation to have at a market, next to a big crate of underripe avocados.

“Later,” he promises, pressing his fingertips against the denim fabric to feel the phone through it.

—

“Can you make an Americano?”

The walk back was more of a race. He’s still a little out of breath, and trying to conceal it, to not look so anxious. “I don’t know how to make coffee, actually,” Kyungsoo narrowly avoids snapping, managing polite, if just a bit winded. He's a chef, not a barista.

“Hmm,” Junmyeon frowns, looking off to a spot on the wall for a moment. “How about croissants then? That sounds lovely.”

That's only literally one of the most labor intensive, time consuming breads. How about no. “I don't have… any croissant dough on hand,” Kyungsoo explains, summoning patience, “and they require a whole day to make. But… I can run to Starbucks for you, if you'd like.”

“Oh,” sighs the beta, disappointedly fluttering a hand in the air. “I’m sure you had something else planned for breakfast then. I guess I’ll just take some juice with my meal. Ideally, something quicker, please. I have to be at work in two hours, so I’m in a bit of a rush.”

Standing off to his brother’s side, Jongin folds his arms across his chest, already glaring before, but now fully seething. He needs to calm down, or they’re going to look really bad, but there’s no way they could stop and discuss. He tries to follow Kyungsoo into the kitchen, only to be tailed by Junmyeon, who doesn’t even bother to look up from his phone as he scrolls through the morning news, muttering to himself.

That leaves Kyungsoo making all of the noise, clattering whisk against mixing bowl and heating up pans. He clears his throat, wondering if he's really the only one who is uncomfortable right now, “Sorry, I didn’t have anything prepared. Breakfast is normally served like an hour from now.”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says absently, gesturing toward Jongin, “you should change that to earlier. It allows you to have more time in your day to do things. I start the morning at four with an hour long workout and then breakfast. It’s invigorating.”

Yeah, he didn't sleep  _ until _ four last night, so likely Jongin wouldn’t have even been to bed by that time. But that’s a detail that’s hardly pertinent at the moment. Kyungsoo decides that that’s enough conversation for now, and hurries through the rest of prep in silence.

“Could you tell us about the meal, please.”

It wasn’t really a question. More like a prompt for something expected. Which, Kyungsoo supposes as he watches Junmyeon flip his tie over his right shoulder and tuck a napkin into his collar like a bib, should be expected, but it’s not like Jongin ever asked him to break down his menus. Kyungsoo clears his throat again, swallowing his annoyance. “This is grilled banana and Cavendish pear pancakes with toasted pine nuts and crème fraîche.”

It’s fucking _ pancakes _ . Eat it.

“I’m so impressed,” Junmyeon smiles as he cuts through the layers with a fork, oblivious to his brother dragging a hand over his face in exasperation. “I was expecting he was having you make like… I don’t even know, like… Cheetos and bacon or something.”

Is that an insult to him? Or to Jongin? Or both simultaneously? “You… requested western style cooking,” Kyungsoo says carefully, “when you hired me.”

“Yes, because he’s really picky—”

“I’m not picky,” Jongin interjects.

Junmyeon purses his lips to consider it. “You’re not,” he says around another bite, “you just have a really unrefined palate.”

Jongin somehow managed to glower even more. “What do you even know about what I like to eat? I had… Iberico pork just last week.”

_ Well, _ that’s hardly accurate. Unless Jongin had been snacking from the fridge, the pork was technically during his pissy food-refusal period. Also, eating expensive pork hardly meant one had a refined palate. But no one’s asking for his opinion, so Kyungsoo hurriedly bows out to leave.

“Oh, I’m  _ very _ impressed!” Junmyeon proclaims happily, nodding once more at Kyungsoo before he turns his back to leave. “There’s a ramen shop in Hokkaido that dad and I went to last time that has Iberico pork ramen that was so heavenly. We should go sometime soon, before you start working. My treat.”

“...Uh… Sure,” he hears Jongin say, sounding so surprised at the invitation that his irritation is momentarily forgotten.

—

“Wh-what the f— …fuck,” Kyungsoo sputters, frozen in place at the sight of giant, picturesque, gently blushing pink peonies sitting on the kitchen counter. He had fled after breakfast, and came back just before lunch to be greeted by the lavish bouquet.

Surely…

Is there a possibility that maybe Sehun lost his damn mind, and tried to step back up to bat after he and Jongin stopped talking? That's probably the more ideal option right now, as much of a headache as that sounds like to deal with. Otherwise…

In a jarringly déjà vu moment, he finds Jongin on the balcony again, doing some sort of complicated sit-ups.

“Please, please tell me you're not crazy,” Kyungsoo begs. Not even the sight of the sweaty, half-naked alpha is enough to distract him right now. This is serious.

“What?” Jongin asks, lunging forward to sit upright.

Maybe it’s Sehun. It could still be Sehun. “The… flowers,” Kyungsoo says nervously, waving a hand back toward the stairs vaguely.

Jongin’s hands go up between them defensively, slowly, as if trying to hold Kyungsoo back from an outburst. “So…” he begins, “I didn’t think he would just be showing up like that—”

“It  _ was _ you then?” Kyungsoo whines. He had half-expected that the sight of Jongin’s brother would’ve been enough to compel the alpha into at least  _ trying _ to behave.

“Well, I— Wait, who  _ else  _ would it have been from?”

“Are you  _ serious _ right now!”

There’s a gleam in the alpha’s eyes as he steps closer. “Who says they were for you? I mean… maybe I just really like flowers. Alphas can like flowers too, Soo.” He has the audacity to sound reprimanding. “And… there’s just really good lighting in the kitchen. It shows them off the best.”

There are no windows in the kitchen. There is zero natural lighting whatsoever in the kitchen. This sly motherfucker thinks he can cute his way out of this.

“Displaying your flowers in the kitchen can send the wrong message to the wrong people,  _ Mr. Kim _ ,” Kyungsoo palms at his own face in exasperation, swatting when Jongin tries to hold his hand.

“I’ll move it then,” Jongin smirks, tugging on Kyungsoo’s shirt and skipping away to avoid getting hit again. “By the way, did you know that when you’re annoyed, you don’t really blink?”

Maybe he misheard. “What.”

“Like, you’ll go to blink, and I think you actually make a legit effort to,” Jongin says, face lighting up with glee as he tries to mimic it, “and then I think your eyes just don’t close all the way, because they’re rolling back so hard that your lids don’t actually make contact. It’s freaky, but it’s pretty hot.”

Is he referencing Kyungsoo’s very painfully awkward interaction with his brother earlier, or right now? “You’re crazy,” Kyungsoo whispers. “You’re actually crazy.”

Of course, the super hot alpha that he’s obsessed with is bonkers. That’s how life works. He must be cursed.

Jongin scrunches his lips into a little pout. “I just wanted to… spruce up the place a little. I didn’t know he was coming by… But he’s gone, and nothing happened… Also, I think I deserve a hug—”

“In what world do you deserve a hug,” Kyungsoo interrupts, disbelief heavy in his voice.

“All worlds?” the alpha says in a little, squeaky voice, lower lip jutting out now. “Why wouldn’t I deserve hugs?  _ Everyone  _ deserves hugs.”

He levels an unamused, blank stare.

“We’re social creatures,” Jongin continues shamelessly, “we need contact and comfort and… stuff. It’s not like a sexual thing. It’s just hugs. I need physical contact. It’s a serotonin booster, I think. It can be totally platonic or whatever. I’m not asking you to bend over and spread ‘em or anything… unless you wanted to right now.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to shut this ridiculous thing down.

“I just… miss you, you know,” Jongin mutters sulkily, “And I mean, I think asking for one a  _ day _ isn’t that demanding…”

He can practically hear the flatulence sound effects of his anger deflating like a balloon at the alpha’s words. How dare he be this cute in a time like this. “You’re asking me for a hug.”

Jongin’s expression turns smug and he holds his arms out, waiting to be embraced.

“I might just strangle you right now.” Demanding daily hugs when they’re supposed to be chill and not up to any sort of funny business and being  _ under surveillance _ , practically.

Still grinning like a Cheshire cat, Jongin opens and closes his hands repeatedly, to beckon.

“You’re sweaty,” Kyungsoo declares feebly. “You smell.”

“I was working out some stress from my brother showing up unexpectedly,” Jongin begins wiggling a little, side to side, arms still outstretched. “Which is why I also deserve a hug.”

Maybe he should walk away. This is just outright foolishness. Except  _ he _ deserves a hug, dammit. He’s been stressed all morning too. Kyungsoo scowls as he steps forward, hands coming up to rest on the alpha’s damp back just as Jongin’s arms wrap around to pull him closer. He shifts his face, so his cheek lays against Jongin’s collarbone more comfortably, and hears a sharp inhale as Jongin’s nose buries into his hair.

“Sorry about my brother.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Kyungsoo mumbles, letting his eyes fall shut.

“Is that your way of saying you’re in love with me?”

“Are you bored of living?” he murmurs back, trying to ignore the words and focus on how nice it feels to just be in physical contact again.

“It’s okay,” Jongin promises, voice angelically sweet as he pets down Kyungsoo’s spine reassuringly, “you can confess. I won’t tell anyone. Just say it: ‘Hyung, I love you the most.’ Get it out of your system. You’ll feel better.”

Reluctantly, he pushes away with an annoyed snarl, glaring up at a very amused alpha, and points a finger at Jongin’s face. “Move your flowers,” Kyungsoo warns, turning on his heel and storming off.

—

**_S_ ** _ ERIOUSLY _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ what is it? _

_ your solution is to move the flowers to my room???????? _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ thought it was pretty genius, if i do say so myself _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ there’s no way he’d ever ask to look into your room _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ that’d be an invasion of privacy _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ you could sue him _

_ did you forget about the part where i forgot to water the last flowers and they died _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ oh you have a point _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ hmm i guess i’ll have to remember to go by and water them every day _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ oh no :) _

_ don’t you dare _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ :) _

—

It takes him almost twenty minutes of digging, but eventually, Kyungsoo finds the still new crème brûlée torch behind some cast iron skillets and upends it to check the butane level. He figured it would have evaporated or something by now, but it seems full enough. Sighing to himself and questioning his sanity again, Kyungsoo exhales and climbs up the stairs, torch in hand.

Maybe this was all for naught, and this will just be embarrassing himself… He should just go back to bed. He— 

“Oops, sorry,” he exclaims a little too loudly as Jongin glances his way, glasses on and surrounded by piles of open books. He looks busy as heck. This is not a good time.

“No, come here,” Jongin nearly trips over a book trying to get up quickly, in case Kyungsoo tries to bolt. “What’s up?”

He’s definitely embarrassed now, trying to hide the little blue lighter behind his back as Jongin tilts his head to see what it is. “I thought I’d… catch you on another break or something.”

“You’ve impeccable timing, my break just started,” Jongin beams and then points down toward Kyungsoo’s hand. “You come to build me a desk or something?”

“It’s a torch,” Kyungsoo reveals it, feeling his ears burn as he holds it out. That was such an obvious lie. Jongin was clearly still deep in his studies. He can’t feel all that bad for interrupting, though. “For your marshmallows. It’s better than a lighter.”

“Why is that?”

What if the marshmallows aren’t even a regular thing. Maybe Jongin just had a random craving last night, and discovered that he actually hates toasted marshmallows. There’s a bag squished into the side of the chair, but from here, Kyungsoo can’t tell if it contains marshmallows or not. “Because it won’t put that ash stuff on there,” he explains. “That’s probably carcinogenic or something.”

“But that’s extra flavor,” Jongin teases.

Okay, that forces a smile onto Kyungsoo’s lips. “Gross.”

The books get haphazardly swept aside to make room for Kyungsoo. Jongin flops into his spot and procures the bag - a new bag - of jumbo marshmallows, setting it into Kyungsoo’s lap.

“You gonna do the honors?” the alpha asks, still wearing the goofy, broad grin on his face.

“What were you studying tonight?” Kyungsoo takes a marshmallow and spears the bamboo stick through it, focusing on keeping the blue flame from burning it too dark.

“Budget reports,” Jongin moans, stretching his arm around Kyungsoo’s back and laying his head onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “They expect me to make budget reports. And speeches. And go to conferences. Kill me.”

“I still kinda want to, don’t tempt me,” Kyungsoo muses, blowing out a puff of air to extinguish the flame. There. Toasty, but not burnt to oblivion. He hands it to Jongin, who fans it to cool it enough, and holds it back in front of Kyungsoo’s lips expectantly.

The eyeroll would have had more impact if he could keep the pleased smile off of his face, but he fails miserably. Kyungsoo leans forward and bites a little bit of the top corner, feeling the outer layer of sugar give way to perfectly melted, gooey marshmallow. Well, damn, his plan worked out fabulously.

“What if they were sunflowers again? Would you be less mad?”

“...I’m not  _ mad _ , but he could’ve seen them, and then where would we be right now,” Kyungsoo grumbles, watching the alpha devour a mouthful and offer more to him. “Either way,  _ don't  _ get more flowers.”

Jongin alternates back and forth until the marshmallow is gone, spearing another one and handing it over, ignoring Kyungsoo’s attempt at giving him the torch.

“I can’t reach,” the alpha whines, showing how he can’t grab the torch with the hand around Kyungsoo. “It’s up to you. I’ll just feed us.”

“You're unbelievable,” Kyungsoo chuckles, evenly browning their next snack.

“Why?”

“Didn't you get arrested for like public indecency or something?” As long as they're already like this, he might as well take advantage of the moment too, leaning in more, resting his head against Jongin's. “Or have you always been such a Big Bad Sexy Alpha that you never had to learn how to flirt like an actual adult?”

Jongin gives him a sidelong glance, “And how do I do that? Should I bring tiny, fancy torches to late night rendezvous and complain about gifts from my paramour?”

Paramour. It’s hard to keep the smile off his face, so he tries to focus just on the diss. “Oh, hah. Hah. I should just leave then.”

“Nooo,” Jongin clings to his arm, leaning more heavily against him.

It’s late, and he’s already had more than enough sugar, but if he doesn’t have that as an excuse anymore, should he leave? Really, this is Jongin’s studying time. He shouldn’t be here anyway.

“I’m so glad you came back,” Jongin hums happily, tossing the bamboo skewer onto the table.

What, is he a mind-reader now? “Why’s that?” Kyungsoo asks quietly.

Jongin sighs and slumps more against him, before deciding that the position wasn’t comfortable enough, and shuffling them until he is once again resting his head in Kyungsoo’s lap. “You don’t know how hard it is, okay,” he says, eyes closed as he leans his head in toward Kyungsoo’s navel. “I can see the marks fading away already. I can smell the difference just walking into the same room as you. It… it’s like I’m losing you, and all I can do is just watch it happen. It’s hard.”

Not what he was expecting at all. Kyungsoo feels a strange tightness in his chest and soothes it away by combing his fingers through Jongin’s hair. He has known that the post-heat comedown would be hard on himself with all the things that they did. It would feel like being abandoned after coming so close to a mating. And yet he never really considered what it would be like for the one who tried to make a claim, having to watch it slowly vanish, if there were any emotions invested.

But there’s nothing they can do about that anyway, other than suck it up and deal with it until the danger is over. He knows that. He knows Jongin knows that too.

Jongin turns his head just as Kyungsoo completes a stroke through his hair, and tilts enough so he can kiss the inside of Kyungsoo’s palm.

Man, he’s so fucked. Kyungsoo smiles to himself, and looks away, at the massive pile of books on the table. “Tell me about your wild college days,” he implores, deciding that the best solution is just to change the subject, in order to not ruin the mood.

“You sure that’s something you want to hear about?”

“Unless there’s something else you want to talk about,” Kyungsoo flicks him on the forehead, slouching in his seat and bringing his feet up on the chair to get more comfortable.

“You know,” Jongin starts, pulling Kyungsoo’s hand to his chest and covering it with his own, “joke’s on you, actually. I was just the quiet, foreign student who got top marks in class and minded my own business.”

No way. “Really,” Kyungsoo says, brow raised.

Jongin chuckles, “I was an outsider on foreign land with a funny accent. Add in being an alpha on top of that - you know how bitchy some alphas can get already. The jock mentality. No camaraderie. Fun times.”

So what about the stories… “No tail then?”

Another laugh. “No, there was plenty of that,” Jongin smirks up at him. “I liked going to parties and stuff. I guess I still do. It’s a habit now, I guess. You start going through withdrawal, because it’s something you’re used to, to avoid being alone with your thoughts. But I never really liked the socialization part. Being around hypersensitive, possessive dicks and then on the opposite end of the trash spectrum, with people who just wanted to fuck something exotic, it was better when I could just be by myself. So I went to the woods a lot, or the library whenever that wasn’t practical. It made me miss home less. You know?”

He recalls Jongin telling him about just going to the woods and shifting, about it being freeing. It makes sense now, he supposes.

“What about you?”

It takes a little bit for him to gather his thoughts enough to answer. It’s not like college was that long ago, but it’s difficult, seeing some vague parallels between them and trying to link them into coherent thoughts and words.

Kyungsoo shrugs, feeling awkward, “I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to explain, but like… I don’t know. We live in a supposedly modern society and all that right now, but some people still have this backwards view of omegas. Like… seeing a male omega in college was fascinating for some people, and like… insulting, I guess, for others?” He sighs, frustrated. He’s rambling, feeling whatever point he wanted to originally make slip away. “A lot of people see male omegas as like… I don’t know, more effeminate? That’s probably the wrong wording… But there were a lot of male omegas in culinary school, and I think a lot of them legitimately were there just to pad their resumes for matchmaking. My teachers thought I was just there to get training to be a good trophy husband one day.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jongin says sympathetically. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising anymore, but it still managed to. He scowls, petting over Kyungsoo’s hand. “What was your dream, going to culinary school?”

It’s easy enough now, to let the frustrations of the past slide off of him. Maybe it’s the company tonight. Normally, it’d leave a sour taste in his mouth for hours after, remembering how unfair some moments were. “Oh, I was gonna trap some rich, pretty alpha into being my sugar daddy,” he smirks.

“That’s all you were looking for?” Jongin feigns offense, sneering. “I’m overqualified. I’m offended.”

He chuckles, enjoying the sensation of their fingers lacing together, the sensitive webbing between each digit touching, tickling almost. It’s not even that the feeling is all that comfortable. Jongin has knobby knuckles, and the angle they’re holding hands is kind of pushing bone onto bone. But it feels nice at the same time. Uncomfortable, but nice. Who knew that could be a thing. “I wanted to open up my own restaurant. I wanted, like, the stereotypical three-Michelin-star restaurant dream that every basic ass aspiring chef has.”

“That’d be cool,” Jongin muses. “What would you cook? You seem to be able to make everything.”

That’s flattering. Wrong, but flattering. This isn’t something he’s ever really told anyone. Not pack, and definitely not his own parents, who would be way too eager to reassure him that stable work under someone else would be a much safer route, especially in this economy and given his status as an omega. “I don’t know,” he confesses. “Like a fusion place, maybe? Or Japanese? Like yakitori or something. It’s just a pipe dream.”

“It’s still a goal. It’s not a bad goal.” Jongin reaches up and strokes his cheek softly. “Better than me, I don’t really have any pipe dream in mind.”

“No?”

“I mean, top of my list right now would be to talk you into making out with me or something…”

He snorts, rolling his eyes. Kyungsoo is surprised it actually took this long for him to circle back. “Oh yeah?”

“I probably wouldn’t turn down a handjob either, but”—Jongin shrugs dramatically—”I don’t know. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess.”

Kyungsoo stifles his laughter, rolling his eyes back and letting his head drop back to look up at the night sky instead.

“It’s getting colder,” Jongin’s voice drops, growing warmer. “You don’t like being cold, and yet you’re out here, with me. I’m so flattered. It’s only right that I keep you warm to show my gratitude…”

The silent laughter ripens into chortles, and Kyungsoo taps him on the forehead as warning. “We most definitely are not making out right now.”

The alpha licks his bottom lip slowly, eyes narrowing, and it has a strangely immediate effect on Kyungsoo. “Why not?”

He falters, blinking rapidly and hoping the feeling fades. “We’re not even supposed to be doing… this right now,” he argues weakly.

“And what is ‘this’?”

What was it that he said… “Late night rendezvous… with paramours,” Kyungsoo quotes, allowing himself to get pulled sideways into the chair, until they’re side by side.

The smirk on Jongin’s face somehow grows more smug as he sides up closer, a hand gliding over Kyungsoo’s waist and fingers rubbing into the dimples of Kyungsoo’s lower back. “Well, since we  _ are _ though…”

“Not.”

A pout. “Why not.”

“Because… your virtue might be at stake,” Kyungsoo whispers, falling for the trap as Jongin licks his lips again. Dammit.

Jongin’s eyes light up. “Oh?”

“So no making out,” he says sternly. “You got your allotted daily hug—”

“It’s a new day already…”

“The deal is  _ hugs _ .”

Jongin’s eyes are tinged with red. Not full-blown lusty alpha glow, but they’re definitely on their way there. “I won’t tell, I promise,” he croons smoothly. “Your secret’s safe. Hell, you could even blow me right now, and I’d just lay here… defenseless…”

Kyungsoo bites his lip. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Does that mean horny, because yes.”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what that means,” Kyungsoo snorts again, inhaling sharply as he gets pulled flush against the alpha, something firm digging into his thigh. “Apparently, you’re a huge fucking nerd. Don’t try to act all suave.”

Jongin only grins wider as he leans in more, lifting his leg to push insistently against Kyungsoo’s crotch. Smug bastard.

Kyungsoo leans in first, with the original intent of giving a teasing peck and dashing off, but Jongin’s lips mold against his, warm and pliant. He remembers a very distinct,  _ ‘just one more’ _ promise in his brain, before Jongin’s mouth opens enough to lightly suckle his bottom lip back, pulling away and making Kyungsoo chase after him.

“Tease,” he reprimands breathlessly, looping a hand behind Jongin's nape to hold him in place.

In response, Jongin’s lips soften even more, his grip tightening on Kyungsoo’s waist, hot breath tickling his skin. He gets rolled on top, legs falling to either side of Jongin's thighs. The night air is cold. His only choice is to press closer to Jongin’s body to huddle for warmth.

The fingers kneading into his lower back edge along his waistband, thumbs dipping under, stretching the elastic just as the hard bulge digging into his thigh grinds up against his own erection. He moans wispily, pivoting his hips forward to seek more friction.

“Baby…” Jongin sighs as his hands slide fully under Kyungsoo’s shorts, cupping the swell of his ass, and squeezing. He uses the momentum to roll Kyungsoo’s hips against his own as his tongue continues its taunt, dipping just enough into Kyungsoo’s mouth and recoiling so he can suck and nip at his lips again.

It doesn’t really register to him how ridiculous this must look, the two of them frotting like a couple of horny teenagers. He’s hungry for more, mewling against Jongin’s lips as his shorts inch downward.

Jongin answers him with a low growl, nails digging into flesh as he pulls at Kyungsoo’s ass cheeks, spreading them apart.

Kyungsoo’s eyes shoot open, meeting Jongin’s intense gaze. The alpha’s pupils are a sheen of turquoise, lime, and gold, every bit of light on the balcony reflecting off of the tapetum lucidum of his eyes; and they do nothing to mask the deep red underneath.

He gulps, momentarily distracted at the sight, until Jongin adjusts his grip, and Kyungsoo feels the very distinct sensation of slick dripping down the seam of his ass. Outside of his heats, this isn’t something that happens all that frequently. It’s a jarring feeling. Which, right now, is probably a blessing in disguise. They can’t take this too far.

Kyungsoo clears his throat, embarrassed and too aroused, “I—”

Jongin’s nostrils flare as he sucks in breath after heavy breath. He knows.

“I should go…” Kyungsoo says, half-heartedly tugging at Jongin’s hand to pull it out of his shorts.

Jongin swallows hard, withdrawing both hands and cupping Kyungsoo’s ass again over the fabric. “Why?” he asks, voice husky as he pants for breath.

As if he doesn’t know exactly what’s going on. “Because we have to behave,” Kyungsoo whines sullenly, slowly sitting upright and sliding off of the alpha’s lap, gasping as Jongin lifts enough to brush against the front of his shorts.

It’s a miracle Jongin doesn’t protest or attempt to seduce him back into some more dry humping. He watches the alpha card his fingers through his own hair and blow out a big puff of air before pressing the backs of his hands against his eyes, groaning loudly in frustration as he tries to calm down.

“Give me your phone,” Jongin commands, to which Kyungsoo obliges, still reeling. The alpha taps at the screen, brows furrowing as he pauses to reach down and rearrange his crotch so his cock isn’t stuck trying to rip through the seam.

_ D-Day _ , the phone says, as Jongin hands it back to him. That sounds portentous. It’s an appointment on his calendar for a couple of weeks from now. Kyungsoo looks back at him, confused.

“What’s this supposed to be?”

Jongin still looks dazed, glowy eyes and all. “You wanted us to wait for a month, right?”

“Oh, D as in— Are you kidding me.”

The alpha smirks, tilting his head as he leans in and gives a simple peck against Kyungsoo’s lips.

“What makes you think I’ll want to sleep with you,” Kyungsoo murmurs, pulling him back for something more substantial.

“I don’t know, everything?” Jongin smiles, laying his forehead against Kyungsoo’s and grabbing at his waist again. It’s enough to distract him for a few more minutes, kissing and petting, until Kyungsoo realizes his hand is wrapped around Jongin’s clothed cock and trying to stroke through the fabric.

He lets go, regretfully, giving it one last squeeze and swelling at Jongin’s soft moan. “I have to go,” Kyungsoo frowns.

“You  _ don’t _ ,” Jongin urges.

“If I go now, I can come back tomorrow,” he promises, latching onto the offer like a life raft. “We don’t know if your brother’s planning on dropping in for breakfast every day or not.”

Jongin makes a whining noise, weakly trying to cling to his shirt as Kyungsoo walks backwards to the exit. But he knows Kyungsoo is right, and doesn’t try to fight it beyond that.

“Goodnight,” Kyungsoo says as he reaches the doorway, leaning against it. “You should sleep soon, especially in case he comes by again. He’s an early bird.”

The alpha grunts in displeasure, reluctantly agreeing again. He looks around at the book piles and back to Kyungsoo. “Yeah. I’ll go in a sec,” he grumbles, biting his lower lip again. “Goodnight, Soo.”

“Night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So anon is turned off for AO3, and some more restrictions have been put on AFF. Long story short, I got a very violently delusional and persistent anon, and had to put some measures in place. I hope it's not too annoying for everyone else. I still haven't replied to comments on AFF due to this, and I haven't answered anyone on the last chap here, but I'm truly grateful for all of your wonderful comments and support and feedback. This chapter was betaed by Lizzie, and she hasn't seen the ending, so I hope she approves. :)))


	18. Chapter 18

Someone knocks on his door, loud and rushed. The crack of knuckles on wood reverberate through his skull. To the left of his head, his phone continues to buzz relentlessly on the nightstand. He feels like death warmed over, and the stimuli is making him irrationally angry as they persist. His eyes creak open. It’s dark o’clock.

This better be life or death or someone’s about to die.

With a deep, annoyed groan, Kyungsoo kicks the covers off, snatches his phone from its charger, and tries to get his eyes to focus on the screen as he makes his way to the door.

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Channie Personal:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Channie Personal:_ ** _ Soo _

**_Taobao:_ ** _ Soo _

An endless stream of Soos. At least five screens of Soos, with more coming in as he reads. He suppresses a growl, choosing to conserve his energy for the showdown as Kyungsoo yanks the door open.

Immediately, a white cardboard box is pushed into his face. “Morning, my sunshine!” Tao sings loudly. Unbothered when Kyungsoo smacks the box to the side, the beta immediately throws some aegyo, jutting his lower lip out into a duckface pose. “I brought breakfast for my favorite absent packmate.”

Starting the morning off with a one-two combo of bribery and guilt. This can't be good. 

As the night shift security guard at a nearby hotel, Tao’s primary job is to be a conscious body in uniform. He sleeps during the day and is wired through the night to stave off boredom. This usually means on benign days, he winds up spamming the pack chat with weird memes and videos. On more mischievous days, he's got some new harebrained scheme ready to launch, and right now, the maknae is way too bright-eyed and bushy tailed for him to handle on this little sleep. 

“It’s not even morning yet,” Kyungsoo whines pathetically. His phone is still buzzing, albeit much slower now, presumably because Chanyeol is still trying to continue the paging on his own. 

These late night rendezvous are starting to really add up. God, he's so tired. And as much as his packmates care about him, they won't be willing or able to wait on him hand and foot. It's not like he can be like Jongin and have everything else handled. But it's been two days in a row, so if he doesn't show up on the balcony tonight, won't that send the wrong message? And then they'll be right back to square one. But what would be worse: not getting to spend quality alone time with Jongin and giving the wrong impression, or slipping up from exhaustion if Junmyeon really starts making these visits into daily occurrences? Then he won't be able to see Jongin at all…

“—yeah?”

“Huh?”

Tao snorts, dropping his coat and whatever else he was holding onto Kyungsoo’s desk and then presenting the cardboard box again with flourish. “You’re so pathetic. Eat, my poor Soo. Hurry up, I’m starving.”

“ _ You’re _ pathetic,” Kyungsoo counters brilliantly, flipping the lid open. Donuts. One was missing, leaving just a thin ring of chocolate evidence on the wax paper. “Started without me, I see.”

“That was—” Tao suddenly goes uncharacteristically demure for a long pause before clearing his throat. “I gave one to Sehun.”

Whatever. Kyungsoo plucks one out with rainbow sprinkles and takes a bite.

“So,” Tao says with a mouthful of sweet bread, “when did you and Bae Kim start dating?”

He nearly chokes. “We’re not dating.”

Tao doesn’t dignify that with a verbal response. Instead, he rolls his eyes toward the giant bouquet of pink peonies on Kyungsoo’s desk.

Crap. “We’re not dating,” he repeats. It’s technically true.

“So… when did you change your policy on fucking heat buddies after cooldown?”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “We’re not fucking either.”

…He  _ wishes _ . Last night… Can he go back to his dreams now… 

Tao leans forward pointedly, sniffing twice, and lifting his brows smugly. “Sure, that smells true, but then, like… what do y’all do then, because he’s  _ definitely _ on you.”

Thank you, Tao, for the reminder to shower and change. He had gone to sleep in the same clothes last night. Of course, Jongin was scenting him like mad. They’re… going to have to talk about this. “We just… hang out,” he mumbles, feeling guilty at the white lie. “Mostly.”

“...Why?”

Because he likes to. Needs to. Because it makes him miss Jongin less. “It’s fun,” he declares. “He's cool.”

“You literally said he was a spoiled douche.”

Whoops, he does recall that happening. “I misjudged.” Just don't tell Jongin about any of that. Ever.

“Uh huh.”

Kyungsoo clears his throat and takes another bite.

“So anyway, I think you need a makeover. Let’s make you look hot.”

“...I’m good.”

“ _ Come on…. _ ” Tao says, leaning back to pick up one of the things he brought over: a hair clipper set, still in its box. “I’ve been watching videos on YouTube for like three days now. I’m a pro, Soo.”

He doesn’t have the energy to indulge Tao right now. He could probably squeeze another hour in before he has to start cooking.

“I need to go back to sleep.”

“You'll be irresistible to Baby Kim. Let me help…”

“Let me  _ sleep _ .”

Tao claps, looking pleased. “Deal.”

“Wait, what?”

“You just need to sit there. I’ll clip, you sleep. It’s perfect.”

“ _ Let me sleep…” _

“Of course,” Tao pulls his chair out, nudging Kyungsoo over to it. “Sit. Get comfortable. Sleep.”

He’s too hungover from the late night to even be in the same multiverse as common sense or red flag detections right now. That’s the only explanation. Either way, Kyungsoo ended up reluctantly allowing Tao to trim his hair, quickly lulled into a hazy half-sleep by the steady hum of the clippers.

It is not until the clippers click off some time later and silence fills the room enough to rouse him that Kyungsoo realizes that something must be terribly wrong.

“Hey, remember that one time you sneezed right into my mouth because you’re a weirdo who never learned how to sneeze properly,” Tao backs away slowly, “and how I didn't even get mad or judgey or anything…”

Kyungsoo has never bolted toward a mirror as fast as he does now. He almost wishes he hadn't. It looks like some failed mutant cross between a chewed up bouffant and a sideways mullet. Above his left sideburn are even some crooked grooves cut in. He looks like he's been mauled.

“I might've done the layering wrong,” Tao squeaks, flinching when Kyungsoo turns his attention to the beta.

“ _ 'Might have’ _ ?”

“It'll be better next time?”

“You think you're gonna live to see a next time?” 

“It's kind of…” Tao looks at the murder scene on Kyungsoo's head and grimaces. “Er, yeah, no, it's not cute. Uhh…”

Groggy and stunned and livid, Kyungsoo has no room left for patience and understanding by the time Tao finally reaches apologies. He's pushing the beta out of his room, cursing to keep from crying, his shirt collar itchy from tiny, errant hairs. How is he supposed to work like this? Even if it were a regular job— How is he supposed to face  _ Jongin _ in a little bit?

“Yah, I'm going, stop pushing so hard!” Tao complains as they reach the door. “It doesn't look  _ that _ bad, you just need to style it and dress a little sluttier—”

“Get  _ out! _ ” Kyungsoo snaps, swinging the front door open and leading the beta out by the back of his coat collar.

They nearly bowl right into Kim Jongdae in his haste to throw Tao out. Ice washes all over him as Kyungsoo tries not to gape. If anyone, he was expecting Junmyeon at the door, but even then, he hadn't been expecting a Kim brother until… fuck, what time is it? How long had he napped?

“Hey, Kyungsoo!” Jongin's older brother chirps brightly, “Nice—uhh… new 'do?”

“Right? It's not so bad,” Tao plasters on a smile and glances over at Kyungsoo. “It's—”

“ _ Go to sleep, bye,”  _ Kyungsoo snarls, pushing him forward again. Fuckfuckfuck, he looks like a hot mess, he's still in clothes that Jongin dry-humped last night, he's not remotely ready for facing another Kim inspection. Why are they cycling through brothers? Is this a formal interrogation now?  _ Fuck. _

Excusing himself after greeting the older Kim and showing him into the house, Kyungsoo flies back to his room in a panic, shedding the itchy clothes and looking at his pitiful reflection in the bathroom mirror. He pauses, surveying the uneven hair chunks on his head and the clippers on the counter.

Well, crap.

—

“All these different looks,” Jongdae grins, chin resting on his fists as he watches Kyungsoo return to the kitchen. “This one looks better than the last one. Interesting choice though. Bold.”

Kyungsoo had managed to buzz off the damage, hop in the shower, and change into fresh clothes in record time. No Jongin in sight. Last time Jongdae was here, he kicked the door down to wake his little brother up. Should Kyungsoo go…

Is this some sort of test, because he can’t take this right now. He runs a hand nervously over his head, feeling the prickly, blunt ends of hair lightly scratch against his palm.

He’s bald. He’s  _ bald. _ He can’t let Jongin see him like this. He hasn’t even burped around the guy.

“Um,” Kyungsoo twiddles his thumbs underneath the counter, “would you like some breakfast?”

“Sure,” Jongdae continues beaming, “I heard this was the best place in town for breakfast.”

So a call must have gone out for all the Kim bros. He’s never met Minseok. Not something to look forward to under these conditions.

“Should I go… wake Mr. Kim?”

Jongdae tilts his head to the side, studying him with great amusement. “If you want, or we can talk about life and relationships and stuff.”

Yeah, let’s not. Crap crap. “I don’t really have anything exciting going on,” Kyungsoo rushes out. “I’ll go get him.”

“Please don’t disappear into his room, I’m pure of heart and mind. And needing food still, and I’m terrible at cooking.”

Did he just insinuate… Kyungsoo winces and speeds up, knocking loudly on Jongin’s door and trying his best to resist tapping his foot in panic.

The door swings open, Jongin yawning as he runs a hand through his long, messy hair, and then dragging it over his face and down his bare chest, his bare—

“Your brother is here, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo chokes out, keeping his eyes glued to the alpha’s. “So… I’ll let him know you need to get dressed. I’m… getting breakfast going.”

Jongin’s eyes drift up, staring at Kyungsoo’s head.

_ “Clothes,” _ Kyungsoo whispers before turning and hurrying back to the kitchen. He pulls some vegetables out of the refrigerator, occupying himself and zoning out as he washes and peels them.

Jongin joins them moments later, wearing some pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt, still staring wide-eyed at Kyungsoo’s head. Yes, it’s bad. He’s bald. Please.

He sneaks a glance at Jongdae, who is sporting the most Cheshire-like grin Kyungsoo’s ever seen on a human being as he watches his younger brother. This is beyond obvious. It’s just hair, gawk at it later. Or is it over now? He asked for a month. He can grow a lot of hair back in one month.

“Shit,” Kyungsoo hisses, hands jerking back and setting the knife down to look at his thumb. He felt the angle of the knife go off a split second before it sunk into his nail.

Jongin is in front of him in an instant, pulling Kyungsoo’s hand to eye level to survey the damage. “Are you okay?”

He pulls away, not daring to look over at the older Kim. “Yeah,” Kyungsoo clears his throat, observing the wound on his nail. It’s shallow, but a thin line of red is starting to well up. “I don’t think it bled anywhere, so I’ll just get a bandage and finish—”

“Why didn’t you use your new knife?” Jongin continues.

No, no,  _ shut the fuck up. _ This is not the time to be considerate and thoughtful. Or call him out for refusing to use a gifted piece of expensive art to chop carrots. “Yeah…” Kyungsoo stalls, grasping for excuses, “I, uh, left it in my room.”

Jongin looks way too unnecessarily anxious, “Let me get—”

“Here, I’ll bandage him up,” Jongdae deftly plucks one out from the corner drawer’s first aid kit and comes toward them, “I used to be a lifeguard—” 

Whatever else he was going to say gets replaced by coughs. Even Kyungsoo can tell, tasting acrid alpha pheromones on his tongue as it floods the room.

Jongdae takes a few steps back, fanning the front of his face as the hacking sounds shift into gleeful laughter. “My god, you’re so lucky Myeonnie is a beta, what the fuck, Nini.”

Crap, they’ve been had.

Jongin snarls and snatches the bandage from his brother, only to pout helplessly when Kyungsoo yanks it away from his fingertips to apply it himself. 

Maybe the older Kim has picked up on his very obviously distressed state, and has decided to take mercy on him. Jongdae continues to snicker as he backs up to lean casually against a far wall, masking his mouth and nose with his hand. “You skunk, stop it,” he scolds playfully, then turns to Kyungsoo. “Hyung doesn’t know Ninibear like I do. It’s an alpha thing, I guess. Don’t worry, I won’t tattle.”

What is that supposed to mean. Kyungsoo wads up the bandage wrapper and sets it by the carrot peels, trying his best to look unaffected.

Jongin looks back and forth between him and Jongdae, nostrils flaring as he slowly backs down from whatever possessive alpha thing took over him. He calms down enough, and turns back up to Kyungsoo’s bald head again.

_ Seriously _ , Kyungsoo attempts telepathy.  _ Stop it. _ Subtlety, damn it.

“Why did Junmyeon send you?” Jongin asks quietly, finally tearing his eyes away from the lack of hair.

“What do you mean?” Jongdae smirks. “Why wouldn’t I wake up early to take a taxi out of my way from work to have breakfast with my emo, bum brother and his totally platonic-but-smells-vaguely-like-family-now chef? Can’t I just want to grace you two with my presence all on my own with no ulterior motive or prompting? You’re welcome for that, by the way.”

“ _ Jongdae _ ,” Jongin says, exasperation heavy.

“Of course Junmyeon sent me, you twat.” The room has cleared out enough, and Jongdae walks back toward them, folding his arms on the other end of the counter and leaning forward. “I was there when his wife told him about it in the first place. She was positively scandalized.”

“Did he also tell you what he  _ did _ ?” Jongin scowls. “He was talking to S— to him like he was a servant, and having him present the menu like he was some fucking country club maître d'. It was horrifying.”

“Yeah,” Jongdae leans a little toward Kyungsoo, “he’s not doing it to be a dick, by the way. That’s just kind of what happens when you’re a perfect storm of second-gen wealth, beta inferiority complex, and lack of self-awareness all crammed into one carb-deprived person.”

“...Is… is that better…” Kyungsoo says hesitantly.

“No, but I mean, he’s our brother. I love him. He’s just oblivious as fuck. What can I do? Everyone's problematic. Like Nini here, he does dumbfuck shit—”

“Gee, thanks, Dae.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re telling me you haven’t spent every moment thinking with your dick ever since that first drop of testosterone hit?” When Jongin glowers quietly, the other alpha continues, “Where was I… Oh, but his dumb shit is always consensual dumb shit, and it’s not like you don’t know exactly what you’re getting with him. He’s as transparent as a window. Junmyeon might not get us alphas and there’s some deeply packed jealousy issues in there too, but he always means well though, which I know isn’t comforting, but at least he’s not  _ trying _ to be a dick?”

An awkward silence falls. Kyungsoo coughs.

“He went into heat,” Jongin says, a resigned tone in his voice. “Obviously, things happened. Junmyeon totally blew things out of proportion though. He thinks I did all kinds of terrible things.”

“I figured it got exaggerated,” Jongdae’s voice softens in turn. “Which is why I volunteered. But then, maybe he wanted to get a new cook for the kids or something. Kyungsoo here is a great chef—”

“ _ My _ chef,” Jongin snaps instantly.

“Ooh, scary,” Jongdae retorts, clearly unintimidated. “That’ll definitely win Myeonnie over.”

Jongin snarls, turning away to go back to staring at Kyungsoo’s head.

Jongdae looks over to Kyungsoo too. “So what do you think about all this, future brother-in-law?”

He knows his eyes are bugging out. Jongdae is way too relaxed. Too flirty and comfortable and casually prying. It’s a trap. Looking over at Jongin for clues is no use. He clears his throat again, choosing to go with the lead Jongin had set up. “Um,” Kyungsoo says quietly, fidgeting with his bandaged thumb, “we’re not dating. We get along fine, but your older brother really got the wrong impression. It was heat. It was all consensual, if that’s what he’s worried about, but like… heats are just part of life. I’m just… here to work.”

All technically true, but he’s crossing his fingers under the counter anyway, hoping Jongin catches on and doesn’t get hurt or something. He prays his body doesn’t give him away. His ears feel like they’re burning.

“Wait,” Jongdae blinks, “really?”

Jongin’s tongue darts out to lick his lower lip, pursing his mouth into a small frown. “...Yeah,” he agrees.

“Oh…” The older Kim’s face turns serious, even kind of awed. The look turns sympathetic as he visibly backs down, tracing the veins of the countertop with a fingernail less than a minute later.

The room is silent, save for their breathing. Kyungsoo can’t stand it. He picks up his knife and gathers the carrots into a pile, paying more attention as he resumes chopping.

“Uhh-actually-I’ll-take-a-rain-check-for-breakfast-I’m-running-late-Nini-walk-me-out,” Jongdae says in a rush, already backing up. “Thanks, Kyungsoo, have a nice day!”

While confused, Jongin still trails after him. They're gone for a good stretch. Kyungsoo has already finished cleaning up his prep area by the time he catches scent of Jongin again.

“What was all that about?” Kyungsoo asks, wringing his apron absently.

Jongin startles him by reaching up and combing his fingers through Kyungsoo's hair, the short stubble making a loud, scratchy rasp against the alpha's skin. His hands continue down to Kyungsoo's nape before circling back, repeating the motion slowly. “I like the hair so much,” he hums approvingly. “You look so hot.”

“A-are you petting me right now?”

In response, the alpha scoots closer, leaning in to graze his lower lip against Kyungsoo's hair, breathing warm air down against his scalp. “Mmm.”

To think he had been stressing over how Jongin might find him unattractive. He repeats his original question, “So what was that all about? He just left.”

“I think he bought it. He thinks I'm pathetic,” Jongin explains nonchalantly, too distracted playing with the short fuzz.

“...Why?”

Cradling Kyungsoo's nape again, Jongin nuzzles in against his hair. “Like, I have unrequited feelings for you or something, I guess,” he murmurs.

“Is that good?”

Jongin shrugs, resting his forearms on Kyungsoo’s shoulders as he continues rubbing his face into Kyungsoo’s hair, a long sigh warming his forehead.

Did he take it to heart… They just had this discussion. He should know… “Even though you know that’s not true, ...right?”

“Is it not true?”

“Are you serious?” Kyungsoo pushes him away, so they can face each other properly. “Weren’t you saying the  _ same _ exact thing that I was?”

No answer, just pouts.

He sneers, “ _ Well? _ ”

“Do you not like the knife I got you?”

“I do. I love it. It’s my most prized possession. It’s a work of art.”

“Then why don’t you use it…”

“Did you not hear me?” Kyungsoo can hear his voice rising. He’s still tense from possibly getting caught, from the whole morning, really. And now he has to comfort a sensitive alpha. “It’s beautiful. My old one is beat up. I don’t mind chopping bones or anything with it. If it gets damaged, it’s just one more knick in it.”

Jongin takes his hand, spreading it palm up and stroking over the bandage carefully, still frowning. “Would this have happened if you were using the new one?”

“Stop pouting,” he says, flicking Jongin’s bottom lip. It retracts, and Jongin reaches up to pet his hair again.

“What brought this on?” the alpha asks.

“Do you like it then?”

“Mmhmm.”

Potential clemency for his packmate then. “Tao offered to cut my hair this morning. I was stupid enough to let him, because I was too tired to have any sense. It was awful. This was the only way I could fix it,” Kyungsoo admits.

“I like it,” Jongin repeats. “It feels nice.”

“Does it?”

“I want to kiss your head,” the alpha says, before doing so, right above Kyungsoo’s widow’s peak and then moving to the left, along the hairline.

“This is taking advantage of a situation,” he mumbles, leaning into the touch. It feels nice. It’s the first time he has felt comfortable all damn morning. After a resigned sigh, he steps closer, resting flush against the alpha’s chest, eyes fluttering shut as warm arms wrap around him.

“You sound tired.”

“Someone kept me up late last night,” Kyungsoo reminds him.

“I don’t want lunch today,” Jongin says, rubbing his back in soft strokes. “So you should just sleep after this.”

Swoon. “Liar.”

“Nope. I’m just gonna order something. Don’t cook lunch today.”

Kyungsoo pinches his arm. “Are you insulting my food?”

“Never,” the alpha promises solemnly. “So go nap?”

—

_ quick _

_ chicken or steak _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ chicken _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ why _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ how bout you? _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ where are you??? _

_ your fav place _

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _ you’re??? Inside??? Of you??? _

_ …...the balcony _

“It’s probably cold by now,” Kyungsoo says, tossing the small bundle at the alpha when he finally appears.

Jongin catches it in both hands, brows knitting together in confusion as he continues toward him.

“There aren’t any Chipotles in all of South Korea, apparently,” Kyungsoo explains, unwrapping his own bundle. “So this is from Cuchara. They’re the closest I could find. I checked their reviews. Clean bill of health, allegedly.”

There are hearts in Jongin’s eyes as he sits down. “You got us burritos for lunch?”

“Eat.”

“You must  _ love _ me.”

Kyungsoo sneers, feeling his lips curl up at the end of it. He’s so weak. “ _ Eat. _ I’m going to have to make you some pozole or something later this week to atone for this terrible act.”

“You got steak?” Jongin asks, leaning over to look at his.

“I like steak,” he grins, swallowing his bite. “I love it, actually, so I’m glad you picked chicken.”

“Is steak your favorite?”

So transparent. Kyungsoo kicks him playfully. “I like it, but if you’re wanting my fav, I’ll make it one day.”

“What is it?”

He tucks his feet underneath him. “My mom’s cooking. There’s this meal she makes with like chili crab and it’s just… really good.”

“Yes, please.”

“How’s your bastardized burrito?”

Jongin chews happily around a huge bite before swallowing, holding it out. “Cheesy and amazing. Wanna try?”

Adorable fucking alpha. Kyungsoo indulges him. Cheese and weirdly cooked, underseasoned rice. Dry chicken breast. Canned refried beans. It’s got all the components of good food, just overprocessed and underwhelming.

“It’s so good.” Jongin nods for emphasis. “You should’ve napped though. I would’ve gotten it for us.”

It wouldn’t have been the same. He really needed it to be a surprise. Seeing Jongin’s face light up from eating a burrito is better than sleep. The alpha may have been in on the act with Jongdae earlier, but Kyungsoo supposes it was still a little too close for comfort and stung. Besides, who knows what his brother could’ve told him. They’re not on very solid ground yet. He needed to show some small gesture of reassurance, given all they’ve gone through.

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo assures him, grinning involuntarily as he watches the burrito get demolished.

“Have I mentioned how much I like this hair?”

“Probably not.” He ducks down to hide the blush. It still feels weird, and looks even weirder to him. To think, he’d been so high-strung about it this morning.

“I like it so much,” Jongin even pets it with his free hand for emphasis, tugging gently on Kyungsoo’s ear as he draws back. 

“Did you hate my hair before, or…”

“Or I liked it before too, and just think you look extra hot with this new look,” Jongin’s face scrunches in mock-disapproval. “And it feels really nice.”

_ That _ felt really nice. “Oh.”

They banter on and off while they finish up lunch, with Jongin slowly sidling closer until Kyungsoo somehow ends up in his lap, sideways. It does no good to point out the need to be proper. Or that’s what he tells himself anyway as he snuggles in, tangling limbs with the alpha as they recline backward.

“This means I get to treat you to lunch too now,” Jongin reminds him quietly, so close that each exhale warms the bridge of Kyungsoo’s nose.

“Yours was cheap, since it was just chicken. You have a budget of seven thousand won, Mr. Kim.”

“Plus tax,” Jongin adds.

He smiles. “Plus tax.”

—

He knows who’s on the other side of the door before they even knock. Kyungsoo hurries over, opening it with a confused look on his face, and stepping to the side to allow Jongin to walk into the bedroom.

The alpha smirks. “I came to… water my flowers,” he says smugly.

“Oh, did you.”

“I would've done it earlier, but someone took a nap on me.”

Lies. They napped together. It can’t really be called an accident either, given how Kyungsoo managed to rearrange them so he could be in a more optimally-snuggled position, but it was definitely a mutual decision. It made for a strange dinner. The company was nice, but they didn’t exchange a lot of words. And yet, he didn’t feel weird. Surprisingly comfortable.

Jongin brings the vase to the bathroom, awkwardly fumbling with it, not knowing where to put the flowers while he dumps the water out and refills it. Kyungsoo wouldn’t be of much use here. He doesn’t have a clue how to tend to cut flowers either. Back in the room, though, the alpha pretends to fuss over the bouquet’s placement, but Kyungsoo catches him staring from the mirror.

“Don’t stay up tonight, by the way,” Jongin finally turns around. “I won’t be on the balcony.”

That sounded so resolute. What is it supposed to mean? “Why not?”

The alpha climbs onto his bed, rolling over and splaying himself upside down on Kyungsoo’s mattress, offering a hand toward him. “Because you need to sleep. You’re tired. One of my bros will likely be showing up again tomorrow. I’ll sleep. I’ll wake up and deal with him. We’ll find a different time to hang out.”

He takes the hand, allowing himself to be guided down to the bed, and watches as Jongin rolls so he can rest his head on Kyungsoo’s stomach. “When are you gonna study then?”

“During the day, like normal people, I guess.”

Kyungsoo brushes through the alpha’s hair. “You sure you can wake up? You have a habit, Mr. Kim.”

“I have motive,  _ Mr. Do _ .”

“What’s that?”

Jongin pokes him in the side. “I don’t like seeing you tired and stressed.”

It feels like his heart fluttered, what the fuck. That really happens? He watches as Jongin gradually slides higher up toward his face, eventually reaching and pressing his lips into Kyungsoo’s chin.

“You know,” Jongin says, “some people might say that burrito lunches on balconies are considered dates.”

“Oh?”

Another kiss, along Kyungsoo’s jawline. “Some other people might say that if something like that is allowed, then something like, oh, I don’t know, a movie on the couch should also be permitted. Especially since that kind of conduct has already happened with other parties in this household, like when I was babysitting and Sehun joined.”

He can feel Jongin pause, tense up. The alpha is probably expecting a dismissal. “What kind of movie?” Kyungsoo asks.

“I bought a bunch of old Alain Delon movies a few months ago, and never got around to seeing them,” Jongin says, the nervous excitement coming through in his voice. “Or we can watch something else too.”

Jongin’s hair is long enough that even after Kyungsoo’s threaded his fingers through them, he can still loop them around several times. It feels nice. Silky and intimate. “When?”

“Tomorrow?”

“I’ll make nachos. Sound good?”

“Yes.”

They stay settled for another few minutes, before Kyungsoo involuntarily yawns, causing the alpha to stand up, dragging them toward the door.

“Hug,” Jongin demands, arms outstretched.

“I gave you plenty of hugs—”

“I gave  _ you _ plenty of hugs. Hug.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, but steps forward, tightly embracing him, sighing into his collarbone.

“Remember, I’ve got it taken care of tomorrow. Go to sleep. I’m not going to the balcony. ‘Kay?”

_ “Yes, alpha, _ ” he sneers mockingly.

Jongin leans in, going past his face and dropping a soft kiss lower down the column of Kyungsoo’s neck, a few more on his way up, at the corner of Kyungsoo’s ear, under his right eyebrow, and pulling back to look at him before planting a final one near the top of his cupid’s bow.

“What’s that about?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Saying goodnight,” Jongin answers with a self-satisfied look, scanning over Kyungsoo’s facial features once more.

“Don’t be cryptic.”

Jongin pokes him at the same spot on the lip. “Your pretty moles,” he says, a corner of his lip turning up. “I’m saying goodnight.”

“Or you’re taking advantage. We didn’t agree to kisses.”

“You didn’t stop me. Do you want more?”

It’s so smug. Kyungsoo sighs out a quiet laugh, leans in, and gives him a peck on the lips. It’s not enough for his tastes, but this level of smugness.

Jongin doesn’t seem eager to protest though. He pets over Kyungsoo’s short hair again, admiring it for a long pause. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Lizzie for all her help betaing. This chapter was originally meant to be MUCH longer, because I've been planning it for about 6 months now, and it was so difficult to piece together fluidly, so Lizzie suggested chopping it into two chapters instead, and MAJORLY helped me slap it into something that made sense. So yeah, the second half of it is coming, which is my favorite part. I hope it doesn't seem all filler-y. It's more development. They're so soft. I love them so much. Yall still with me?


	19. Chapter 19

His phone vibrates on its charger, and Kyungsoo rouses further from sleep. He would be impressed by Tao’s audacity if it wasn’t so annoying. The buzzing isn’t as insistent as yesterday, at least, but it’s been going off a couple of times in the past few minutes as he drifts closer to consciousness.

At least he’s better equipped to deal with it today. Not a full eight hours of sleep, but it’s definitely been way more than he’s been getting. The early morning sun is just now filtering in through his curtains.

It’s nice, but at the same time, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss hanging out on the balcony, flirting with his hot alpha.

The phone buzzes again. Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes shut and takes a few deep breaths before grabbing it.

The texts are all from Jongin. Six of them, with the first unread one timestamped from about an hour after they parted last night: a selca of Jongin lying in bed, looking directly into the camera, eyes soft, lips puckered into a kiss.

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _night night, miss me lots :-*_

He finds that he does, in fact, miss the alpha quite a lot. They were together just hours ago, and that doesn't seem to matter at all. He longs. He _pines_. Ugh.

And the rest were sent this morning, each a few minutes apart. Live, it seems. An over the shoulder mirror shot of his back, shirtless and sweaty, as he pulls a heavy machine at a gym, muscles knitting together. Another one, face barely in view, mostly of his arm as it flexes, bicep bulging. The next, a grainy video, someone else holding the camera as Jongin deadlifts a massive amount of weights, face intense as he focuses.

What the fuck… This is giving him whiplash, going from soft to… softcore porn, basically. Kyungsoo stares at the screen, resisting the urge to browse through the pictures again as he tries to assemble some type of coherent reply. Lacking any creative answer, he opts for the safest, driest one:

_...gym?_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _yeah i’m here with minseok_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _(bro 1)_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _dae told him the place was filthy so he invited me to gym instead_

_ohhh that’s rather nice of him_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _yeah he’s cool when he wants to be_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _good morning :)_

_morning to you_

_working off the marshmallows, i see_

Jongin doesn’t answer. A minute goes by. Kyungsoo’s phone buzzes. A new photo loads: Jongin, standing before a mirror, the bottom hem of his shirt held in between his teeth, revealing his abdomen, tanned and defined, glistening muscles on display.

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _trying to :)_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _how am i doing?_

Jesus, fuck. Kyungsoo’s brain short circuits. He goes on autopilot, opening the photo and zooming in before going back through the rest and doing the same to those as well. Minutes later, he’s rereading the messages, chiding himself for not responding first to at least disguise his thirstiness.

It… probably feels really good, being an alpha, being able to let go at the gym, pump some heavy iron. Be challenged physically. It’s probably stress-relieving, and… and… And he doesn’t give a damn about what benefits Jongin might be reaping from his workout. He’s being teased, and it’s working, and he’s enjoying it and wanting more. Dammit.

_pretty good i guess_

_in that pic at that angle it looks very nice anyway, but idk about in person_

_I'd need more to compare :P_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _oh it's nicer in person_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _are you trying to scam for more pics baby, all you have to do is ask_

_i wouldn't be offended by more pics_

_...baby_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _what kind you wanting? let's negotiate ;)_

_behave, you exhibitionist_

_isn’t your bro there with you_

The read receipts indicate that Jongin saw the messages immediately, but there is no response. A minute. Two. Kyungsoo gets up to pee and wash his face. His phone buzzes, and he opens it unthinkingly.

Jongin’s sent him another photo, very similar to the previous one. He’s standing before a mirror, although this one seems to be in a bathroom. His teeth are holding his shirt up, but the angle is lower, centering mainly on the happy trail, but Kyungsoo would be beyond blind if he somehow missed the large bulge pushing against the sweatpants Jongin is wearing. The material is worn and soft. If he zooms in, Kyungsoo can perfectly make out the outline of his cockhead, straining against the inside seam along the leg. Commando again.

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _not right now :)_

Fuck. Kyungsoo squeezes his thighs together and tries to ignore his heartbeat speeding up, his body warming. Bastard. Not that Kyungsoo needs any help getting horny, but now he’s definitely here, and his off-limits alpha is somewhere being hot and slutty and maybe he should’ve just praised Jongin way earlier, when the teasing was still bearable, because his want has escalated into a full-blown need.

_and who’s that for?_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _what?_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:)_

_oh :) i’m :) sorry :)_

_are :) you :) smuggling :) “GYM” :) “EQUIPMENT” :) in :) your :) pants :)_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _why are you mocking me :(_

_bc :) you’re :) playing :) dumb :) and :) not :) answering :) meeee :)_

_:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:P_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _its for my soo chef_

_omg no_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _(get it SOUS chef)_

_……….no yeah i got it_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:(_

_yeah i’ve never been told that joke before ever in my entire cooking career at ALL_

_no its great_

_A+_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:( :( :(_

_stop frowning, you!!_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:(_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _you turned down my dick :(_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _i’m sad :(_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _i’m going to howl a lamenting song of infinite sorrow outside of your window now awooOoooOoOo :(_

_i did not_

_i turned down your terribad joke_

_your dick, idk who you are offering it to over there, bc clearly i’m home by myself_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _k :)_

 **_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _heading home!_

_not that i’m accepting anything bc we have a schedule if you recall_

_wait_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _and i’m starrrrrrrrrrrvingggggg :)_

_what???_

_WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???_

**_Knotbot 3000:_ ** _:)_

“Your food’s ready!” Kyungsoo practically shouts, startled by the alpha’s appearance in his kitchen. He barely had time to change into uniform and throw a meal together. His heart is racing.

The confidence emanating from Jongin with each step he takes is tangible, palatable, even. It smells like dried sweat and interested alpha, and while objectively, that’s not the most pleasant scent, Kyungsoo has to take a step back and collect himself.

“Thank you for the meal,” Jongin purrs, advancing and pulling Kyungsoo toward him with his fingertips.

He’s not on the menu. Stop looking at him like that. They were just _flirting_. Calm down. “I believe you said you were hungry?”

Jongin smirks and dips closer. “I thought you’d want me to shower first. Naughty…”

He gulps. “Naughty?”

Jongin walks his fingertips around Kyungsoo’s waist and grabs handfuls of ass, kneading with delight as he sniffs along Kyungsoo’s hairline, brushing his cheek over the stubble that is Kyungsoo’s short hair. He’s hard, the erection obscene and out of control in his useless sweatpants, scant millimeters from touching Kyungsoo’s leg, and Kyungsoo is way too aware of the closing distance, anticipating it way too eagerly.

“Did you want to do it here? I think you’d be more comfortable in my bed…”

They’re having two totally different conversations right now—no, they’re having just the one, but Kyungsoo is in denial and will fight it, dammit. Each time Jongin gropes his ass, it lifts him onto almost tippy-toes, and he has to grab onto the alpha’s shoulders to stabilize. The pheromones Jongin’s pumping out has his skin tingling from head to toe. There’s good dick near, and he wants it nearer.

_Yes, please…_

Their situation, though…

“My calendar doesn’t show anything special on the schedule for today, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo whispers, hearing how affected he sounds. “You’ve got a few weeks to go.”

“You didn’t book a dick appointment earlier?”

Did he? He did. No. He wanted it, didn’t voice it, though. Don’t dump this on him. “I don’t—” Jongin grinds against him, heavy cock digging into his thigh, and Kyungsoo doesn’t know how he manages to not drop to his knees and suck for a few minutes to just clear his head, but he somehow stays upright. He clears his throat and frowns up at Jongin. “ _Stooop_ , this is so unfair,” Kyungsoo whines.

“Oh my god, you’re the cutest thing ever,” Jongin coos, grinning widely as he leans down so their noses touch. “My family is going to some conference this weekend,” he sing-songs, “ _out of town_. It’s like a mini vacation. Minseok invited me, but I, ah, ‘just didn’t feel ready to participate yet.’”

“Uh huh,” Kyungsoo drawls out, stalling, “ _and_?”

Jongin whispers conspiratorially, “And I bet we could probably grant a furlough due to extenuating circumstances…”

“What is that supposed to mean, smarty pants?”

The alpha looks positively giddy. “It means,” he continues, tongue darting out to lick Kyungsoo’s ear, “while I can’t bite you, if you ask nicely, I’ll let you ride me as much as you can handle this weekend.”

“That’s so kind of you, Mr. Kim,” Kyungsoo simpers, biting his lip and tilting into the touch.

It’s so smug, yet so, so tempting. Dammit. He didn’t have a lot of time to strategize before Jongin got home, but it was still enough to go over some disaster scenarios, which is more than enough to fry his nerves.

He’s not in heat anymore. He’s not like some omegas either, who feel the need to compensate for the lack of heat with all kinds of artificial supplementation and hormones. But heat sex is _nothing_ like normal sex. It’s endless fucking with reckless abandon, intense and mindless as hormones override everything else. Not just his own, but the alpha’s as well. It’s beyond effortless. Even a lackluster knot would seem gold plated during heat.

It’s why Kyungsoo rarely engages in sexual acts outside of his heats in the first place. The best dick game doesn’t deliver nearly as well once heat is over. His body doesn't just dispense magical, instant love shots. It needs work. It doesn’t just get wet and wild.

It hasn’t been enough time. True, Jongin had even packed his own sex kit the last time they were together, so he at least doesn’t have to be concerned with Jongin being offended at having to use lube with an omega. But most alphas’ egos deflate faster than a sea urchin in a bouncy house when they realize they can’t just stick a dick in and make him lose his mind. They’re literally only days into a relationship after a really rocky start. Can they take Jongin being disappointed in how his body _normally_ behaves? Yeah, that’s really sexy pillow talk: _Listen, I bet you felt like a sex god a week ago, but your dick isn’t an orgasm taser, please lower your expectations as to what my body can do._

Jongin pulls away, studying him for a moment. His expression is unreadable. “That’s if you want to, of course. No one will be around to tattle,” he says, rubbing Kyungsoo’s waist in long strokes as he straightens up. “But _I_ am personally requesting a movie marathon for the weekend. I was promised snacks. And cuddling. We could even… do sleepovers and braid each other’s hair.”

He snorts. “Just _your_ hair.”

Jongin licks over his lower lip before pinning his tongue between his teeth, looking thoughtful. Whatever he could be literally holding his tongue about, he doesn’t reveal, but instead pets over Kyungsoo’s short fuzz and leans down. “Does that sound good then?”

Oh no, what is Kyungsoo broadcasting to elicit the hesitant tone? “Who are we watching again?”

“Alain Delon,” Jongin explains, “He was like the Gong Yoo of 1960s French cinema.”

“We’re gonna spend the whole weekend watching you thirst over some old dude?” Kyungsoo teases, making extra effort to soften his voice, lest the alpha takes it as a serious complaint.

“Yes, and there's a new show starting on Monday too. It looks really good,” Jongin adds. “You're also invited to watch it with me.”

“What is it?”

“It's called 100 Days My Prince,” Jongin says. “It's a historical rom-com.”

“Ew, with the idol actor?” Kyungsoo sneers.

Jongin bops him on the nose. “I will fight you if you slander Kim Hwandong. He is a national treasure.”

“I bet you only like him because he's got a big booty.”

Jongin’s brows waggle. “It looks exactly like… a not-as-perfect version of yours.”

“Smooth.” Kyungsoo gives him a long, exasperated sigh instead. “ _Anyway_ , sure, I’ll watch you fanboy over some idol on Monday too, I guess.”

“Mondays _and_ Tuesdays.”

He sneers.

Jongin leans in and pecks him above the left eyebrow, grinning widely. “Your booty is still the bootiest of booties. And you can pick what we watch next time? I’m gonna jump in the shower. Be right back for food, ‘kay?”

Alone again, Kyungsoo's thoughts finally have a chance to settle. Whatever Jongin seemed to read off of him threw the alpha off, but not to the point of being offended, it seemed. Or he hopes, anyway.

But without chaperones for the weekend, is sex back on the table then? Is it just assumed…

He wants to, of course, but he also doesn't want to ruin this magical, light feeling where everything seems perfect and easy. They've had, what, not even one week of being gooey and cute? He doesn't doubt the sex will be good. It just won't be the _same_ , and it's infuriating that something like that is enough to set off all his paranoia and insecurities. Will it be _enough_ for Jongin?

Jongin is, indeed, back in just a few minutes, clean and clad in a pair of grey sweatpants, damp hair brushed back. He seems to have gotten over the morning flirtation, or at least, switched to more subtle tactics. And by “subtle,” Kyungsoo means he ripped a blob of fried egg, chanterelles, hazelnuts, and blackberries off his plate with his bare fingers, and crammed it into Kyungsoo’s mouth, spreading and pressing onto Kyungsoo's tongue before skipping away.

Subtlety, one thing Jongin isn’t good at. A small comfort, Kyungsoo supposes as he wipes the runny egg yolk off one corner of his lips.

“Are you going to be like this if we ever eat with your bros?”

“Like what?” Jongin asks innocently.

“As in being so obvious.”

“Do you _want_ me to not be so obvious?”

Blatant redirection… What a jerk, he’s so cute. Two can play at that game. Kyungsoo tries to conceal a pleased smile, feeling it tug at his lips anyway as he rolls his eyes. He selects a blackberry from his yet-untouched plate and mimes throwing it at the alpha. “Open up.”

Jongin opens his mouth wide, lower lip jutting out in a ridiculous pout when the berry bounces off his bare chest to fall into his lap.

“Oops,” Kyungsoo says, fawning as Jongin scavenges the fruit out of the folds of his sweatpants and gleefully pops it into his mouth.

The meal is much more comfortable today. Maybe knowing his brothers aren't going to barge in and investigate their every action, or maybe he’s just better rested, or maybe they’re actually just more comfortable around each other; whatever the reason, it’s lovely.

“I made my mom’s meal for lunch today,” Kyungsoo announces nervously, once breakfast is over, as Jongin prowls toward him.

“Already?” Jongin asks, pulling him to his feet and whirls them around together in a half circle. “You slept, right?”

“Mmhmm. It’s just a basic meal…”

“It’s your favorite though.” Bringing Kyungsoo’s hand to his lips, Jongin kisses the tip of the thumb, and then down to each finger. “I’m excited.”

“It’s my favorite… because it’s my mom’s…” His train of thought derails as Jongin moves his hand to the alpha’s chest, pressing over his heart enough to feel the pulse before dragging it down his torso, over the bumps of his abdomen and sweeping up to the obliques of one side.

Jongin’s face fills his vision. “I’m still excited,” the alpha says smugly, letting his hand fall as he leans in enough to kiss Kyungsoo’s nose. “I’m gonna go study until lunch, and then I’m all yours for the whole weekend, alright?”

The fuck just happened… And what makes him think Kyungsoo is going to let him off after this weekend? But while he’s lost in thought, Jongin saunters off, a jaunty little bounce in each step. Kyungsoo sighs as he makes his way back to his own room.

What are his odds of making it through this weekend celibate…

—

“Sleepyhead,” Kyungsoo has to make three trips to bring everything up to the balcony, waking Jongin by the second one.

“Studying is boring,” Jongin yawns widely as he stretches.

He got a picture in his first trip up of Jongin sprawled over a pile of books, dozing with his mouth hanging open. Kyungsoo is delighted, but he can't even check on it until later. He fusses with the little grill to get the fire going, beaming proudly as Jongin unrolls the mat for them to eat.

“I don't know what I'm smelling, but it smells good,” Jongin says.

“It's marinated chili crab,” Kyungsoo reminds him, presenting the large jar. He fishes two of the blue crabs out, pulls their shell open, and sprinkles on the shredded red pepper threads, sesame seeds, and onions, setting it at the center of the mat. It's tidier than his mom's style, but he can't help it. He prides himself in the extra presentation. Waving the seaweed over the tiny flame a few times to roast it evenly, he then chops the sheets into smaller, more manageable squares and sets them on another platter by the rice and sliced cucumber.

“This looks really pretty,” Jongin picks one of the half-crabs up in his chopsticks and sniffs at it before offering Kyungsoo the first bite. “Yum.”

“Eat,” Kyungsoo instructs, carefully stacking everything atop the seaweed.

He had a huge internal debate on making a bigger, heartier meal instead. Some bean paste stew, pollock and pumpkin pancakes, the works. But he'd been missing this meal, and it's more different than his usual fare.

“How hard is this to make?” Jongin asks, after he's inhaled the first crab and is already working on the second, sprinkling the accoutrements on by himself as he greedily eyes the remainder in the jar.

“Not hard,” Kyungsoo says. “I just clean them really well, throw the marinade together in a boil, and then let it sit for a day… Why?”

Jongin sucks out some more crab meat, his eyes rolling shut in bliss. “I could eat this for the rest of my life.”

He beams. “Oh yeah?”

“I'm dead serious. Every single day. How is this so good, oh my god.”

He'd almost suspect over-the-top flattery if Jongin didn't actually polish off the entire jar, moaning about how his stomach is so full, but it's just too good to stop. He's even got a tiny little pot belly by the end of the meal, laying his head in Kyungsoo's lap and patting his stomach happily.

“I made dessert, by the way,” Kyungsoo says, combing through Jongin's hair with his fingers, “but I don't think you have any room left. You might just pop.”

“What'd you make?”

“St—” He feels the back of his neck warm, spreading to his ears. “Strawberry shortcake…”

Looking down, he sees Jongin purposefully avoid meeting his eyes, smugly smirking at the sky instead as he takes a deep inhale. Damn. “That sounds good.”

“Want some?” Kyungsoo wiggles, not getting far with the alpha's head still comfortably nested in his lap, “I'll go get it.”

“I read somewhere that seduction is just encouraging someone to do what they already want to do…”

“...Oh?”

“Are you trying to seduce me?” Finally, Jongin's eyes settle on his, twinkling.

Kyungsoo pokes his tummy gently, “Mr. Kim, I don't know if you're able to take any seduction right now.”

Jongin grunts and pouts down at his stomach. “You gave me this food baby. You did this to me,” he rubs over his navel, “don't shame my body for it.”

“Why are you like this…”

“Take responsibility, Daddy Do.”

He pushes Jongin's head off his lap, returning his scowl and sticking his tongue out for good measure. “Oh god, it's a reverse daddy kink now?”

“Come back…” Jongin flails, writhing his way back to using Kyungsoo's thighs as a pillow. “How would reverse daddy kink even work, though, does that mean I want you to call me ‘son’ and judge my grades or something…”

“Please stop talking.”

Jongin pokes him in the lower lip before snagging it between his fingers, tugging Kyungsoo toward him, “ _Make me.”_

Kyungsoo covers the alpha's mouth with his palm instead, smearing the saliva over his face when Jongin licks his hand. He grunts as he's pulled down to the mat as well, eyes widening in mock disbelief as Jongin stretches his arm out to use as a new pillow. “You are such a b—”

Jongin's mouth lands messily against his, sucking Kyungsoo's lower lip in and holding it between his teeth before diving in again, deeper. The alpha's hand slides over his waist to steady them as Jongin angles his head, fluttering smaller kisses over Kyungsoo's lips.

He opens his mouth for more, only to find air. Kyungsoo's eyes open as he lunges forward again, catching Jongin's mischievous face as he tilts just out of reach. Teasing? _Now?_

Jongin closes the distance again, but kisses him on the tip of his nose instead. It starts with a loud peck at first, then some fake-sensual mouthing and sucking before Kyungsoo twists his face out of the way.

“Ew, gross,” Kyungsoo whines, swiping at the skin. There's crab marinade on his nose now.

“Your nose feels just like your dick, did you know that?” Jongin whispers conspiratorially.

He growls, “If you try to suck my face dick again, I'm going to break your _dick_ -dick.”

Jongin's eyes light up. “Dik-diks are actually super tiny deer.”

Kyungsoo stares.

“Oh, wait, no,” Jongin's nose scrunches as he's lost in thought. “I think they're actually antelope. Like super tiny, though, really cute. Like tiny chicken nugget versions of real antelope. I wanted one so much when I was a kid.”

“So you've known all your life that you wanted dick,” Kyungsoo deadpans.

Jongin snickers, “Baby, that was so cheap. C+ at best, and that's mostly for cuteness.”

He bristles. He'd thought that was pretty clever, actually, “ _You_ always go for the easy jokes.”

Jongin shrugs, snuggling closer, “I expected more from you. You're savage as hell.”

“Uh huh.”

There’s a small gap in the conversation following that, where Jongin just studies him. “Do you like kids?”

His body goes cold. Kyungsoo fumbles to form thoughts for a moment. “Uh. Yeah, they're alright,” he hedges.

“Do you want any? Like, later?”

They were just making dick jokes, please, why are they discussing the quantity of potential future children… “Umm,” Kyungsoo stalls for as long as possible. “Not… Not really…”

“Oh,” Jongin looks predictably surprised, about as surprised as an alpha courting a male omega would be when screening their desire or ability to have children. “...No?”

“I, uh—” Jongin asked as if to double-check, or give him a chance to change his answer. What lie or distraction can he come up with to get away from this subject… He was kinda looking forward to getting laid eventually.

“That's fine, you know,” Jongin says, looking intently at him.

Yeah, okay. Sure.

“That's not important to me.” Jongin plays with the sleeve of Kyungsoo's shirt. He must be rather transparent, because Jongin frowns at him some more. “I mean, I like kids a lot. They're cute. But my family's full of kids, and it's pretty nice to return them to their parents when they turn into little monsters.”

“I know it's an important thing for alphas…” Not to mention people coming from more affluent families, with legacies and inheritances to worry about, of course, it's important. He gets it. He just… can't wrap his head around it.

“Probably for some,” Jongin shakes a lock of hair off of his forehead. “But that's not what matters to me.”

Uh huh.

After gnawing on his bottom lip for a long silence, Jongin brightens up again, “So how do you feel about having dogs…”

“I'm okay with anything, so long as I'm not expected to _birth_ it,” Kyungsoo admits.

“I bet that'd be weird, yeah… I never really thought about what it'd be like for some people, especially male omegas,” Jongin ponders it some more, eyes dulling as he gets lost in his thoughts. “I guess it's pretty wrong to just assume.”

“It's expected.”

Jongin sneers suddenly. “ _Fuck_ expectations.”

Kyungsoo lips form a thin line.

“My parents expected a really different person,” Jongin says, tracing along Kyungsoo's left earlobe. “I busted ass my whole life to be what they wanted. I was top of my class. I was well-mannered and obedient. Acceptable. I was the picture perfect alpha that they asked for, stressed and overworked and depressed out of my mind, and still none of us were happy. At least now, they don't _expect_ anything of me anymore.”

There's a lot of anger and frustration in those words. What can he possibly say to offer comfort, or show that he at least can empathize with some of these feelings? “I'm sorry,” Kyungsoo says lamely, touching his arm, trying to convey some sympathy.

“ _I’m_ sorry,” Jongin sighs. “That just kinda came out. But yeah, fuck expectations. None of those things matter to me. You know that, right?”

Kyungsoo jumps right on that thread, eager to move the subject back to somewhere less painful for the alpha, “What matters to you then?

Jongin's finger traces up the bridge of Kyungsoo's nose and over his right eyebrow, stroking the thicker hair back and forth, eyes focused somewhere further. “In a mate?” he asks softly, wonder in his voice, as if this is the first time he's ever thought about something like this. “I think just what matters to everyone, whether they're honest about it to themselves or not. I want… someone who accepts me. Who sees me for what I am, and loves the real me, warts and all. Do you know how many people die, and the people closest to them will say 'oh, I didn't know this or that about him’? Or 'they had all these facets I never saw’? That's tragic. I don't want to hide who I am, or pretend to be something, hoping it’s what others want, hoping that it'll be enough to make them happy. I don't want to just be 'acceptable.' It's why we seek connections as humans, isn't it? To find somewhere we can belong? Something that echoes whatever is inside of us?” He sighs again, managing a small smile as he focuses on Kyungsoo again. “That's what I want. That's _all_ I want: to have my mate be my safe harbor, and to be theirs. So who cares about doing what’s expected? What good is an expectation, for anyone, other than some degree of predictability?”

That's a lot to take in. A part of him is half-wanting to cry out, _Me! I can be that!_ , and the other part is wracked with guilt, thinking back to every uncharitable thought he's had of Jongin the past few months, and how he is very unqualified to be that mate.

He's grown from that perspective, though. And they've grown closer, unwrapped more of each other since, as they got more entangled. He's gotten to know Jongin much better, he thinks. Not that Jongin was directly offering right now, or anything, but it's a very personal, revealing moment nonetheless. Kyungsoo thumbs over the alpha's cheekbone, at a loss for the right words.

Jongin tugs at his sleeve, stretching the neck of Kyungsoo's shirt out to the side. His eyes search Kyungsoo's skin, honing in on where the last claim mark remained.

Kyungsoo already knows what he's seeing. The mark has faded to white, the indentations still present on some of the teeth, but smooth on the rest. It'll stubbornly remain for a couple more weeks, provided no new marks trigger the healing to accelerate, but it'll still fade significantly in even just one week.

Jongin frowns and dips down, burying his nose deep into the crook of Kyungsoo's neck and inhaling, sighing into the skin. “I wasn't implying anything with all that, by the way. Like, no pressure,” he says, tone lighter.

No, don't walk that back. Whatever Kyungsoo may feel, he can at least recognize the sincerity. He can at least return the honesty. “I think I'd want the same thing.”

They stare at each other. He wonders if it came across clearly, even a fraction as eloquently as Jongin had been. Who knows if this will work, if just days or months or maybe years from now, they will find that they can't be these things for each other, no matter how well-intentioned and desired it once was. But he wants it. This. He wants Jongin to see him this way too.

Jongin smiles and draws him into a big bear hug. He breathes in several deep breaths, puffing warm air against Kyungsoo's scalp. At times, his lungs fill and halt, as if he's about to say something, but nothing follows.

It feels lighter between them now, nonetheless. Hopeful.

—

So it's possible he might've instigated something.

In his defense, Jongin was in his way. They had just reached a good intermission time for the first movie, and were ambling about in the kitchen to stretch and refill on snacks. Kyungsoo simply shrugged into his apron and headed to the pantry, and Jongin was in his way.

He… _might_ have ground his butt firmly across Jongin's crotch as he navigated to his destination. It was a cramped space. The alpha was leering and cracking cocky jokes. Kyungsoo did what he had to do.

But now Jongin is kneading into his waist from behind, undoing the ties of his apron and tugging on them.

“Mr. Kim, what are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks innocently, leaning his head back on Jongin's shoulder, task at hand forgotten.

“Picturing you in a corset…” Jongin growls softly.

Kyungsoo snorts. “And how's that working out for you?”

The ties fall to his sides, and Jongin grips onto his waistband instead. Kyungsoo had changed into a tee and shorts after dinner, so they could snuggle more comfortably on the couch. A low rumble vibrates through Jongin's chest as his fingers hook easily to both Kyungsoo's shorts and briefs and glide the fabric down past the swell of his ass, letting the band snap against the back of his thighs. The motion makes his ass bounce.

“ _Mm, goddamn_ ,” Jongin whispers. “What a view.”

Too easy. “Where’s _my_ view?”

 _Smack_. The alpha's palm bounces off Kyungsoo's right butt cheek, just enough to leave a mild sting as it bounces again. Ooh, yes, yum.

“In my bedroom. Let's go see together.”

“Gave up on subtle seduction, I see.”

“I need to _water_ my _flowers_ ,” Jongin snarls hungrily as he rubs his face into Kyungsoo's nape.

“If that's a pee joke, I swear to god, I'm gonna—”

His sentence is cut off by a hard, clothed cock wedging between his cheeks, rocking forward. Jongin exhales heavily next to his ear. “Let's take a bath… No scent transfers there,” he urges breathily. “It's safe.”

Shower sex could be fun. Any weaker scenting would wash right off. “What if I say no, Mr. Kim?”

Jongin stills, and Kyungsoo can almost _hear_ the pout behind him. “...Then I need to excuse myself for a few minutes before we continue the movie,” Jongin says.

“Oh?” Kyungsoo smirks to himself. “Why?”

Jongin's tone gets even whinnier, “If you don't want to, then I need to jerk off real quick to at least take the edge off, or I might explode.”

“Are you the same guy who fucked me in a marketplace and volunteered blue balls for himself until we got back home?”

“We were having a lot more sex at that time…”

Yes, they were. Nonstop, practically. Jongin groans softly as he rolls his hips against Kyungsoo’s.

“My butt’s getting cold.”

“I’ll warm you up,” Jongin offers huskily.

One-track mind. Kyungsoo’s smirk falters as the alpha’s hands roam around to his front, groping his erection through the bunched up fabric. Who is he to derail this line of thought. “Let’s go then.”

It’s almost like Jongin teleported them into his bedroom. They got there so fast, with Jongin nearly tripping over him while hauling them into the large bathroom, stopping at his nightstand to grab something before screeching to a halt in front of the sink, shedding his own pants and starting the water for the giant tub. It’d be comical if he wasn’t being greeted with the alpha’s giant, raging boner right now.

 _Hello there, it’s been a while._ If Kyungsoo tries, he can actually make out the musky scent of the precum beading at the tip. He _wants_ it.

“I trimmed my nails this morning,” Jongin informs him, fanning his fingers out casually.

So that’s what he ran off to do after breakfast. Figures. “And why are you telling me this?”

“Just thought you should know.” Jongin winks.

Kyungsoo looks at the countertop, where Jongin dropped off a roll of condoms and a brand new bottle of lube. The alpha had prepared and been anticipating this since he saw the opening this morning, it seems.

“We need to talk about why you always pack condoms like you're readying for the end of the world.”

“I bought a different brand of lube, by the way. This one's supposed to simulate omega slick better,” Jongin lets Kyungsoo's sass roll over him completely, beaming from ear to ear. “You didn't like the other one, right?”

He doesn't like the feeling of _any_ lube, honestly. But the thought is sweet and very much appreciated, especially with his nerves lately. Kyungsoo surveys the bottle and turns to Jongin, balling up his fist and holding it up to Jongin’s eye level, “So do you want to do this in the bathtub then, baby? Do I just shove it in all at once, or…”

Jongin's lip juts out impressively far.

Kyungsoo balls up his left hand as well, holding them out together. “You want both together?”

“...Here, just stand there and I'll jerk off onto your butt.”

“Ew!” Kyungsoo cackles as he dances out of reach, stripping out of his clothes and climbing into the bathtub, to safety. The water is scalding hot, just the way he likes it. He kicks it to test, and quickly settles in, scooting back so Jongin can climb into the opposite end and pout some more at him.

“Meanie.”

“Pervert.”

Jongin leers at what he can see of Kyungsoo’s naked body, scooping his feet into the alpha’s lap and rubbing up and down the calves. He’s antsy, a small half smile on his lips as he continues to fret.

The top of Kyungsoo’s foot grazes against the side of Jongin’s dick. He was going for taunting, but Jongin’s eyes light up, and the next thing he knows, the alpha is pressing Kyungsoo’s feet together and poking his dick in through the middle, where Kyungsoo's feet arch. He watches this continue for a few seconds, before Jongin sighs and lets the feet sink back into his lap.

“Was that good for you?” Kyungsoo deadpans.

“The fisting thing was kinda neat,” Jongin pouts again. “But it didn’t really do anything for me either.”

“Gee, really, because I could’ve told you that.”

“Here, you try it. It’s weird,” Jongin says, lifting his own feet above the water to wiggle his toes in front of Kyungsoo. “It just feels like a really awkward handjob.”

“...Are you propositioning for me to fuck your feet?”

“Yeah!”

“...No, thanks.”

The alpha continues to stare at the surface of the water. It’d almost look like he’s shy, but that’d be impossible. They’ve got lube and enough condoms to last through a minor natural disaster, he’s given his okay, Jongin’s even apparently tried to fuck his feet, just what more does he need...

Kyungsoo hooks his ankles around the alpha’s waist and pulls himself closer, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s shoulders and climbing into his lap. The water’s almost reached the top of the tub by now, and he goes ahead and turns it off.

Jongin’s hands press into his lower back, thumbs dipping into the dimples there.

“You are so fucking… perfect,” Jongin sighs out slowly, scooping water onto Kyungsoo’s upper back and shoulders to warm them.

That’s a really high bar. “Kiss,” Kyungsoo orders quietly, lacking a fitting reply, tangling his fingers into the alpha’s hair. Jongin’s lips against his feel like gentle fire. He tries to zero in on the sensation, on the arousal radiating off of Jongin in waves as their mouths repeatedly interlock, each suck and caress hypnotising him further. It's showtime, and he's nervous, but he wants this so much.

After a minute, Jongin plants his feet and pushes his hips up, lifting both of them out of the water as he arches back, reaching blindly for the lube on the counter and bringing it back, fumbling with the packaging behind Kyungsoo’s back. The cap pops open, and they finally break apart breathlessly as he guides Kyungsoo up to the wide ledge on the side of the tub.

“Lay back.”

Even if he could get wet enough, the water would have washed it all away. Kyungsoo suppresses the useless thought and lifts a leg, spreading the other one out as he rubs a hand over Jongin’s chest, down his long, chiseled torso, and back up to brush over the alpha’s nipples, prompting a gasp.

The lube is thinner than last time, definitely. Jongin had thoughtfully warmed it up before pushing a finger in slowly, twisting as he pumps it in and out, motions gaining confidence. It still feels foreign. Slimy. He doubts there’s any synthetic product that’ll just feel like his own body. Kyungsoo catches himself holding his breath and wills himself to relax, to let his body ready itself. Jongin pulls out to drizzle more lube onto his fingers, pushing back in with two. It's uncomfortable, but not painful. An annoying, invasive sensation, honestly, but a welcome means to an end regardless.

His patience eventually runs low though. “It's fine already,” Kyungsoo whines, holding his knees open. “Come here, Mr. Kim.”

For a moment, it looks as if Jongin wants to argue, but then he shakes his head as if to clear it, and flares his nostrils as he inhales whatever weak pheromones Kyungsoo is emitting. He stands and rips one of the condom packs from the rest of the stack, hastily rolling it on as he stares down at Kyungsoo's body. He's much messier this time, as he squirts out too much lube onto his palm to spread onto his wrapped cock, and the rest over Kyungsoo's stretched hole.

“Mm, _fuck_ ,” Jongin's eyes roll back and flutter shut as he pushes in, the head already so swollen from his arousal that it pops in past the rim quicker than either of them anticipate. He's gripping the rest of his shaft, gulping air as he tries to control himself.

It aches. A lot. Stubbornly, Kyungsoo urges him forward anyway. It'll be okay. He's still built for this. He can smell it now, the knot. He had somehow overlooked that during their foreplay, and the condom masking some of it, but Jongin has been so turned on that his knot is already filling. The longer they wait, the firmer and bigger it'll get, and the more difficult it'll be to get it inside of him.

No way.

 _“Hurry,”_ Kyungsoo begs, grabbing at the alpha's shoulders.

“Remember when you said that the next time you had sex with someone, you’d take pictures for me…”

“...No…”

Jongin manages a cocky smirk. “Well, you texted it, so I have actual receipts. Let me grab my phone…” He acts like he’s reaching over the bathtub, to his pants on the floor.

“Wait—”

Jongin's hips roll forward smoothly, and the alpha groans as his knot bumps against Kyungsoo's ass. As far as he can go without forcing anything. He lets out a small gasp, banter forgotten, jerking back slightly to rock forward again, before his eyes reopen. “ _Oh_ , fuck.”

Oh fuck indeed. That _ached_ . On top of it, the loose plastic feeling of the condom mixing with the slimy lube doesn't help matters whatsoever. Kyungsoo represses a whine, chanting internally to just relax, relax, _relax_.

“You okay, babe?”

He reaches down, wrapping his fingers around the knot, gauging size as he squeezes. None of this is working. Kyungsoo whimpers, fearing defeat.

“What's wrong?”

“Take this off.” He's on birth control. The concern is just scenting. They can work with that. _“Please.”_

Thankfully, Jongin doesn't need much convincing. Or _any_ convincing. He's pulled out, condom disposed, relubed, and back in within seconds. Impressive.

At least feeling skin instead of the offensive material helps. He's adjusted a little better too. Jongin jets another shot of lube between them, slathering it messily over himself as he moves in shallow thrusts, jaw clenched tight. Some sparks of pleasure begin to fire off, minor but steady.

“Go ahead,” Kyungsoo whispers, latching onto the tingling feeling. “Go harder.”

A wave of water splashes right over the tub as Jongin pulls back and rocks forward, groaning as Kyungsoo's body sheathes him, pushing his knot insistently against Kyungsoo's rim after each thrust. Kyungsoo lets out a low moan, and it spurs him on even more, grunting obscenities into Kyungsoo's ear as he fucks harder into him. It's finally feeling good—feeling _great_ , actually. Thick, heavy cock pressing up against all the right spots inside of him. It’s fucking fabulous. Kyungsoo’s moans grow louder.

_Bite. Bite bite bite. Claim me. Bite me. Take me._

Jongin snarls and slows to a stop, pushing and pushing as a frustrated whimper escapes. His first attempt gets nowhere, and he pumps a few more times before trying again, both hands gripping Kyungsoo's waist roughly as his knot stretches him open.

He hears Jongin groan again just as his body relaxes enough against the pressure, and Jongin's pelvis hits flush against the back of his thighs with a soft smack.

Kyungsoo's eyes fly open. _“Fuck, that went so deep!”_ he yelps, feeling his eyes sting. It aches, oh god, it aches a fuckton. He’s stretched out, and there's no give. “What the fuck, why is it so big!”

Jongin looks appropriately alarmed while simultaneously struggling with enjoying the tight feeling around him. “It- It's not?” he says, looking down at where they're joined and biting his lip. “It's just my normal amount of dick?”

Kyungsoo makes a weak sobbing noise.

“Do you need more lube?” Jongin asks frantically.

_“Shh.”_

“I'm trying to help!”

“You just hurt my butt with your stupidly big fat dick, don't tell me you're not secretly smug as fuck right now,” Kyungsoo snarls.

“Well, I mean, a little,” Jongin actually has the decency to look sheepish. “But I feel bad about it too.”

The ranting helped. The ache is already slowly fading away. At his direction, Jongin carefully starts moving again, grinding the knot deeper. It doesn't feel possible that not too long ago, Jongin could freely fuck this massive thing in and out of him. It aches. It burns even, but amid the pain, he's already starting to soar. High. Satisfied, somehow. He can take it. Even outside of his heat.

Jongin moves, nudging it in deeper, drawing back so it bumps against his rim, and rocking forward again. Groans fall from both of their lips. Fuck he's so full, it’s such a heady sensation. He feels barely lucid.

Jongin reaches between them, stroking at Kyungsoo's  leaking cock, which had wilted and shrunken down, neglected this entire time until now. “How you doing, baby?”

It's so intense, he's delirious. He can _feel_ how glazed his eyes must be right now, staring blankly at Jongin. He's just— “So full,” he moans, grabbing the backs of his thighs and spreading wider for more.

His body is on fire. He feels faint. He's gonna faint. From getting fucked. It'd be embarrassing if he could care at the moment. This has a very different intensity from heat, how much more aware he is of the individual points of pleasure. The pressure builds in more even layers.

He’d been subconsciously mouthing ‘ _bite_ ’ over and over, clawing desperately at Jongin’s torso, mewling and arching his back, baring his neck. Their eyes meet and the conflict is apparent on Jongin’s face, whether to pragmatically ignore him or recklessly give in. He opts to kiss Kyungsoo instead, a hand pinning him down by the neck, not to block his airway, but to give just enough pressure, to lay claim while rubbing all over him, face to face. It’s not the same. It’s not enough. This is his lover, his mate, his alpha, and this is not enough.

Jongin is slowing down, face red with effort, dripping sweat. “I’m close,” he warns, looking pained.

He’s going to have to pull out. Reality tries to creep back in as Kyungsoo jerks himself off, nodding pathetically and trying not to clench down as Jongin drags the knot against all the soft, sensitive places inside of him.

Jongin starts to withdraw. Both of them hold their breaths as Kyungsoo’s body stubbornly holds onto the knot, even as pressure increases around his hole, now finally dripping slick. Reaching a hand down between his legs, Kyungsoo can press against his rim and feel the knot through the other side. The alpha tries again, wiggling it back and forth, as Kyungsoo tries to go against instinct and release it.

It’s not working. He can’t even feel bad about that. But Jongin’s actually trying his best to hold his composure, looking more panicked by the second. He tries to wiggle it in and out, short thrusts to try and wedge it out, and the next thing Kyungsoo knows, his vision is whiting out as his body convulses, legs twitching uncontrollably. His orgasm spans ages, creeping up his body in a tingling crawl, all the way to the tip of his nose, down to his toes as he quakes.

Jongin gasps, bucking, eyes shining. “Baby,” he begs, jerking back. “Let me out.”

They’d be in a sketchy spot if Jongin came too, but he wouldn’t have faulted the alpha if he did. Luckily, his body won’t lock down outside of heat. Kyungsoo is still panting, still reeling. “No, it’s mine now.”

 _“Soo,”_ Jongin warns, choking out a short laugh before whimpering.

“I’m trying.” He is. He’s just boneless too.

It works, nearly a minute later, with Jongin near tears, and almost crying in relief when he’s freed. He stumbles back, and for a moment, Kyungsoo thinks he might just fall right over, but the alpha steadies himself, and sits back into the tub to catch his breath.

Shakily, like a baby deer, Kyungsoo forces himself to his feet. He follows Jongin down to the water, getting onto his knees. Jongin’s cock is bright red and painfully hard, balls swollen. The water only covers the base. “Sorry,” Kyungsoo whispers.

“Don’t be— _ahh!_ ”

The head has swelled up so much, it’s difficult to actually fit it into his mouth, but Kyungsoo manages. His lips stretch uncomfortably, and it’s impossible to take all of it down, but he minds his teeth and does his best. The shaft is already throbbing in warning. He barely finds and grazes over Jongin’s right nipple with his fingers before he has to rear back, bitter cum flooding over his tongue as Jongin whimpers out his orgasm. There’s a lot. Not as much as when Jongin’s in rut, but enough that he has to pull out to just the head to hold it all in.

He can’t even swallow, or his body could digest it, concentrating Jongin’s scent on him further. Kyungsoo lifts off once Jongin finally goes quiet and stops spasming, grateful for ache in his jaw to fade as he holds his mouth open, looking up into Jongin’s eyes.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Jongin whispers in awe.

Cleanup is significantly less sexy. He has to spit the cum out, and then Jongin drains the tub, carrying him over to the shower to rinse after. They make out while Jongin scrubs over him with a washcloth. Poor alpha. Kyungsoo will just suffer through condoms next time.

It was amazing for him. He thinks Jongin liked it pretty decently too. He didn’t even remember how nervous he was this morning until it was nearly all over. There was definitely no moment where Jongin was staring off at some imaginary spot on the wall, trying to find something sexier to hasten his orgasm along. Surely, Jongin’s brothers should be getting bored soon, with nothing going on, right? They deserve better than this.

They vacillate between crawling into Jongin’s bed or returning to the movie afterward. He has no doubt round two is coming up soon. They have the whole weekend, after all. It’s probably better to just relax with the movie.

“What did you think,” Jongin asks, as he towels off Kyungsoo’s fuzzy hair, marveling at how it’s practically dry after a quick pat, “when I first offered to help you with your heat?”

Kyungsoo takes his time patting down the alpha’s chest with his towel, shrugging, “That you wanted a pleasant diversion from your life.”

“I mean, that’s not wrong… But why is it so hard to entertain the possibility that I just like you?”

He shrugs again, smiling, “I don’t know. I was trying to be professional. We’re _still_ supposed to be professional and not, you know, try to secretly date.”

“Yeah, I had no intention of ever doing that. You know that, right?”

Kyungsoo blinks at him.

“I mean, I didn’t want us to get caught and get you in trouble, but _I_ know how I feel about you. So why delay the inevitable?”

He’s preening inside, so he can’t even say anything about that.

“Hey,” Jongin says softly.

Kyungsoo looks up at him.

“Do you still think I’m gonna wake up one morning, and not feel like this anymore?”

Well, of course, the fear is still there. It’s an irrational fear. That’s the point. It doesn’t matter what reality looks like. Today had been a dream. The last few days had been a dream, and he’s a little less paranoid about things, but in general, “I’d like to hope not.”

Acceptable enough, it seems, even though Jongin still looks wounded. “And do you still think you might wake up one morning and not like me anymore?”

He had expected a different line of questioning. He can’t even imagine this though. It was a crush all along. It’s obvious to him now, if it were ever not obvious before. “I don’t think so… I… I like you a lot, you dummy.”

Jongin smiles and looks down, toweling Kyungsoo’s belly button to hide how pleased he looks.

“...So what about you then?” Kyungsoo prompts.

The alpha looks up, eyebrows raised in question.

“Do you think I’ll wake up and not like you anymore?”

Jongin chews on his lower lip. “I dunno,” he says softly.

How dare. “...Okay, so what about if you’ll wake up one morning, and decide you don’t like me anymore?”

Jongin gives him an amused, silent smile.

“What?”

“I… I think—” He takes a deep breath, smile growing as he gives himself a little nod. “I think… I’m in love with you. So uh. I don’t see that just going away because I have to spend the next few weeks jerking off to your nudes.”

There’s no way he misheard that, right? He must have. He couldn’t have.

“Don’t- Don’t say anything back, or feel pressured to, or anything like that,” Jongin hurries out, chewing on his lower lip again. “I think I’ve known for a long time now. I think I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while.” He chuckles dryly. “I think my brother saw. Dae took one look at me when I came out of the room yesterday and he knew I was crazy about you. He… he just thought it was just me, I guess. Which is good for us.”

Kyungsoo swallows and opens his mouth.

“I’m not trying to guilt you with that or anything. Ahh,” Jongin swats at the air around his head, looking awkward and shy. “I was just rambling.”

He’s still reeling from the confession, confused whether the desire to reciprocate is genuine or reflex. Kyungsoo swallows again, taking a deep breath. “...What nudes are you talking about?”

Jongin smirks. “I have receipts. In fact, I think you even promised me video.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise foot fucking! Mkay, bye, ilysm. Lizzie helped beta the first chunk of this MASSIVELY. Like seriously, the only reason it's coherent is because of her, so thank you to my lovely Goater One so much. Funny story, this fic was started in January 2018 because I was inspired by ONE scene in particular, and it took 19 freaking chapters to finally get here. It’s the scene where Jongin pulls Soo’s shorts down in the kitchen, and the booty bounce. Yes. And this chapter (and most of last chapter) was actually saved in my outline of future notes, and cultivated over MONTHS, which was partly why it was a huge disaster to write out. A lot of their emotions matured further than where I had the notes set up, and some of the other things needed different ways of expansion to not be confusing. Anyway, that’s super long. I hope you liked it. I’m super nervous how it’ll be received, because this was a Big Deal chapter for me, for very obvious reasons (hopefully). Let me know? :))


	20. Chapter 20

What does love feel like?

You either  _ are _ or you  _ aren’t _ something. You’re at home resting on a Sunday evening, or you’re back on the college campus, enjoying the rain. You’re full after a big lunch, or you’re hungry. Every six months, Kyungsoo has to go pee on a stick to show the doctor two pink lines to get his heat medication approved. He’s either pregnant, or he’s not.

So how do you know if you’re in love? What is the litmus test or the unit of measurement for determining something so important and natural and archetypal as love?

Jongin declared it as if it was something obvious to him. With such conviction. But again, how sure is Kyungsoo that the alpha is actually right? Maybe he just  _ thinks _ it’s love, and really, it’s just… what? Affection and lust and pining? Fondness and obsession? But what is love, then, if not an amalgamation of those things? Is there anything more to it than that? Is love just a cocktail of stressful feelings?

The temptation to return the gesture has been worsening through the weekend. Maybe he should just say it aloud, to test it out, to see if it rings with truth, or to just keep Jongin from getting upset and running away, wounded yet again by Kyungsoo’s cold, dead heart, and his lack of reciprocity. But that feels disingenuous, to say he loves someone out of fear of losing them, out of curiosity, out of anything other than absolute certainty that he  _ loves him so _ ,  _ never gonna let him go, giving him his heart and soul, et cetera. _

Someone, please, tell him what is love.

Kyungsoo almost blurted it out a few minutes ago, as Jongin brought him to consciousness with his hot mouth working up and down Kyungsoo's cock, suctioning and tugging in the most deliciously blissful pattern, until Kyungsoo came and his legs quaked in the aftermath, and Jongin decided to move downward and lap and tease at his rim while Kyungsoo cooled down and slowly regained his sanity, delirious, incoherent thoughts swirling. It felt a little like love, a  _ lot _ like love of some intense, overwhelming variety, but then again, orgasms are not really a proper measure of one's _ heart _ . 

Speaking of hearts, Kyungsoo is gradually becoming more and more certain, as he lays there, legs splayed up by his ears, that the shape Jongin's tongue has been lazily tracing for the past minute… yup, is a heart. And once the thought comes to him, he is surer of it than anything else. Of course, the alpha would do something so cheesy and self-indulgent as that, thinking he's being clever and sneaky.

Which is the cutest thing ever, except how can Kyungsoo brag to his friends about something like this?  _ 'My boyfriend is so adorable, you guys, he drew little wet hearts around my butthole with his tongue, awwww…’ _

A shudder runs through him as Jongin laps one final, sloppy stripe over his sensitive hole. The alpha crawls up his body, fluttering little kisses across Kyungsoo's chest and lowering himself down so they're face to face.

Waking up to an unprompted, incredible blowjob and rimming, that alone is grounds for an engagement proposal, probably, but is that love? Is someone willing to pleasure him however he wants, without having to ask or instruct enough to call it love? And if it is, is it really appropriate to tell him right after the act?

_ Tell me again though, _ he wills. He wants to hear the love confession again, to reassure himself that it wasn't his imagination, to feel that tingle shoot through him like fireworks again and bask in the novel, delightful feeling. He wants to hear how much Jongin loves him, what he loves about him, what makes him so sure, and just more, more, more. He’s greedy, and unrepentant. He craves it.  _ Love me. Tell me you love me.  _

“Mmmm,” Jongin growls out, like a lazy predator upon sighting easy prey. “That good bussy.”

Buss—… 

“ _ No _ .”

Jongin pouts, yet shows no sign of withdrawal. “That good… mussy?”

Oh god. “Strike two,” he warns, dropping his legs back to the mattress. His butt does not deserve to be nicknamed like this.

Jongin whines and rolls them onto their sides, not breaking eye contact. “My pretty peach,” he tries again, tapping Kyungsoo on the nose with a finger.

“Oh?”

The smug look returns. The alpha grins, victorious. He bares his teeth, clicking them together. “Ate it right up, didn't I?”

Gosh, when did this smarmy attitude become so unbearably cute to Kyungsoo? And Jongin is three years older and an alpha, he shouldn't seem cute. Yet that doesn't detract one bit from his hotness. Kyungsoo tries to recall how he's felt about his exes, his previous crushes, but the only thing on his mind is one Kim Jongin.

“‘Cha thinkin’ ‘bout, pretty baby?” the alpha prompts, flicking his nose again.

“Nothing—” Kyungsoo drawls out, desperately cycling through his bank of acceptable epithets for something fitting, “...sexy.” 

That was weak. He has no idea how to be cute, dammit. This doesn't just come to him. He can already feel his cheeks reddening from the awkward attempt. He's not cute.

“ _ So cute _ ,” Jongin coos, more to himself than aloud, grinning.

“Yah,” Kyungsoo warns. What, is the alpha a mind-reader now, and taunting him?

Jongin presses right against him, so that their noses are touching, their eyes so close that he goes out of focus. “Guess what?” he whispers.

“...What?”

The alpha's eyes are sparkling. His hand snakes between Kyungsoo's legs, and a finger presses against and then into his ass with ease.  _ “I got you wet,”  _ Jongin boasts, voice gruff as his finger works in and out.

“You did,” Kyungsoo agrees, as the alpha replaces the finger with his cock in a span of seconds. It stalls at first, having to get past Jongin’s drying, sticky saliva, but eventually slides in smoothly, with none of the silky, slimy feeling of lube.

It is still in the earlier hours of Sunday morning, and they had spent enough of this weekend having sex that he’s plenty loose and ready as Jongin starts to move. It hasn’t been anywhere near the crazy marathon of when he was in heat, but more like a constant, unhurried stroll. Single digits still, even. It felt like a magical honeymoon, like they had all the time in the world, way more than just a weekend.

How strange that Kyungsoo was so stressed and focused on something like Jongin not finding him as attractive for not performing like an omega in heat. It seems so silly  _ now _ , days later, after Jongin treats each orgasm he draws from Kyungsoo like a milestone, every time the lube thins away and gets replaced by Kyungsoo’s natural slick as a reward. There was no need to fret. Now, if only he can channel the same self-confidence into this whole love dilemma.

Jongin looks absurdly sexy covered in a collar of his hickeys. It was a stupid risk, if you consider that the claim mark on Kyungsoo’s neck still remains, but it’s satisfying  _ enough _ given that any new bite by the alpha would most certainly leave a fresh, strong scenting in its wake. It’s asking for a lot of self-restraint from Kyungsoo, to keep his teeth shielded as he attacks the alpha’s neck anew. The confusing thoughts rebound in his brain alongside voices chanting,  _ claim him, claim him! _ Jongin’s soft moans in response keep him partly sane. Something to latch onto, to prevent instinct from taking over. Jongin’s neck is extremely sensitive, and he has a spot above his collarbone that Kyungsoo has discovered, near a mole by his carotid, that really gets him going if Kyungsoo suckles just right.

_ If only he could just bite down, just sink his teeth right in… _

A weak moan leaves Jongin’s mouth, and the alpha pulls out abruptly with a frustrated snarl, backing away and climbing across the wide bed to search for condoms. Kyungsoo watches him mildly, as Jongin rips the plastic packaging open with his teeth, scowls as he managed to tear into the actual condom, and frantically dig around for a replacement before crawling back. It’s so fascinating, watching his every movement and decision. He’s in awe just watching Jongin fumble with rolling a condom on.

_ Whipped. _

Is this what love feels like… Is that all love is then, a high concentration of  _ like _ ? Because  _ that _ , he knows for sure he  _ does  _ feel. He likes Jongin a lot.  _ So  _ much.

“Come on, baby,” Jongin urges, minutes later, after Kyungsoo’s whimpers hike up in both frequency and pitch.

“Close…” Kyungsoo whispers, lips numb as the pressure promises to overflow. They had rolled over, Jongin crushing bruises into his waist as he guides Kyungsoo back and forth, lifting his own hips up in sync, driving his cock in deep. He had come already, but is holding on without complaint.

Kyungsoo’s orgasm seems almost anticlimactic when it finally arrives, having come just a bit earlier. A couple of drops of release and then his body going lax as he lays back against Jongin’s upright thighs, hole throbbing, trying to catch his breath. Two orgasms to start off the day, and he feels ready to just go right back to sleep.

“What time is it?” Jongin asks later, as he’s tying off the condom and tossing it away.

Kyungsoo checks his phone. Some pack chat activity. They’ve got to be suspicious. “Nine something. Almost ten?”

“Ahh… I gotta go somewhere for maybe like… an hour?” Jongin walks to his bathroom, returning in somewhat presentable clothes. “Maybe two, tops.”

Kyungsoo lifts his brows, waiting for more.

“Let’s go out when I get back. ‘Kay? I have plans for us for today.”

Something about that sounds cryptic, but Jongin doesn’t offer further explanations. Kyungsoo wants to press, but immediately starts wondering if it’d be appropriate, if he could ask, or if that would seem too inquisitive, too nosy. “Okay.”

Jongin grins and walks over, leaning down to silently demand a kiss, smile growing when he gets one. He runs both of his hands over Kyungsoo’s stubbly hair. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Dress comfortably for later.”

“Kay.”

“Miss me.”

He does. Jongin barely reaches the door, and Kyungsoo already misses him. He hears the front door open and shut, and he misses him even more.

“I… love you?” he whispers to the empty room, gathering up the covers around himself and scooting back to rest against the headboard. A thrill runs down his spine, but that doesn’t really answer if that’s true, or if he’s just excited and nervous. Kyungsoo sighs, frustrated at himself. “Kim Jongin, do I love you or not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my original plan for this chapter was it was supposed to be their entire Sunday, date and everything, but I'm going through some stuff right now, and I honestly don't know how long it would take me to get that entire chapter out, as it is looking to be ~10k+ if I did the entire Sunday in one go. But I wrote this part, and I figured I hadn't updated in over a month now, and Yes, Alpha just turned 1 year old, and here's basically a little teaser for their day. More to come later, but I really need to update IIY with Lizzie, and I really need to get working on my V-day fic. It's short, but I hope it's ok. <3

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this, give it a Kudos and a comment? I LOVE COMMENTS. Comments make writers write faster. ;) I'm around on Twitter as @filet_jignon if you want to come talk to me there too!
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/filet_jignon) | [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/filet_jignon) | [Askfm](https://ask.fm/filet_jignon)


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